Monday, April 13, 2009

The human animal


SAN FRANCISCO – Prosecutors said Monday they may include rape and molestation allegations in their murder charge against the woman suspected of killing an 8-year-old Northern California girl and putting her body in a suitcase.
Melissa Huckaby, a 28-year-old Sunday school teacher, was arrested Friday on suspicion of kidnapping and murdering Sandra Cantu.

For the sake of argument, let's pretend she's guilty. If she's not, it's easy to find a guilty, convicted perpetrator of a similar crime. A sweet Sunday school teacher does this. A mild-mannered, polite college student ends up being a serial killer. Etc etc etc ad nauseam. What we are capable of! Well, in a zero-sum universe, one might argue it's the counter to all the wonderful, artistic, spiritual works some humans have contributed.

What's most disturbing, of course, is the package. Just as the alcoholic more often is the well-dressed executive than the skid row bum urinating on the street, so these monstrous acts are committed by otherwise "lovely people," as the neighbors so often say when questioned after an atrocity. We are more complex than anyone can figure out. A Sunday school teacher, raping and murdering (perhaps in the church itself) a little girl who plays with her daughter. O the sad secrets of us all!

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