The
self-evident meaning of OUTLAW
is someone who acts outside the law. If one understands and lives within the
confines of the law, all is well. The problem arises with sociopaths or people who
live by a personal, conflicting interpretation of the law.
Acting
outside of God’s law, Cain slew his brother Abel. One of the most infamous
outlaws of America’s Old West, Jesse James, spent much of his life on the wrong
side of the law. Were Jesse and Cain psycho/sociopaths who cared for no one else?
Cain
may have fallen into that category. Jesse James loved his wife and children, however,
or so the story goes. Did he interpret the law to his benefit, strongly believing
that he had the right to take whatever he wanted, including lives, at the
expense of others?
Baby
Face Nelson’s life ended before his 26th birthday, his short life taken by the
same violence he reveled in dishing out. Is J. Edgar Hoover’s portrayal of him as a killer without a conscience accurate? Or was killing an addiction for him?
Semantics
aside, ‘Outlaw’ and ‘Criminal’ are not synonymous to those who applaud the charismatic
antics of historical figures such as Robin Hood.
