safety

I figured out why I feel the need to protect my innocence.

I was riding my bike along 22nd street last week and this grey cat rushes out from underneath a car. I gasped, and braked pretty hard until it was able to get out of the way. If a person ran across the street, I certainly wouldn’t gasp. To me, the cat didn’t know any better. The cat cannot be held guilty of anything because it does not behave according to the social rules we have constructed. The person, however, is guilty. The person knows to look both ways before deciding to cross a street. I came to a conclusion. I am terrified of hurting the innocent.

The innocence that I protect is a safety net against getting hurt. We’re okay with hurting the corrupt, the promiscuous, or the guilty. But it is shameful, or even terrifying, to hurt someone who is innocent.