Are some people born evil?

The idealist in me doesn’t want to believe it.

And then I hear what people do and I’m not sure anymore.

When my stepdaughter got home last night, her dog was gone (pictured above). Her apartment door was locked, so how did it happen? Her roommate took him.

Muttley Crüe was taken for a walk and released to his own devices on the Saturday night streets of Toronto.

The story could have ended ugly but, thankfully, a dog shelter found him and she’s on her way to pick him up now.

This sort of thing gets me thinking …

Are people born broken or does something happen to them to make them that way? Who does that to a trusting and helpless animal?

In the bigger picture, I ask even bigger questions when I see yet another act of violence against people or animals reported in the news.

I’ve heard the argument that some people are born evil and I’ve always resisted it and argued that it can’t possibly be — in the presence of a newborn baby, I feel I’m witnessing the magic of a pristine spirit. It’s the ultimate beauty of untarnished innocence. It’s enrapturing.

I simply can’t reconcile that to the notion of evil born.

So, where does it come from?

I can see why, throughout history, people have pointed to evil as a presence or a being who moves into unguarded hearts and minds. It’s an easy answer to the question.

Oh, that I could believe something so scary and yet so simple. It would be wonderful if it was something we could run from and ultimately kill with our magic crossbow.

But we can’t lay blame beyond ourselves. It’s the easy way out.

As parents, as a culture, as a society … we need to ask the big questions.

How do people lose their ability to feel compassion … and how do we help them find it again?

What damages heart and mind to the point where hurting and/or killing a fellow living being becomes a viable consideration … and how do we heal the damage?

Sadly, this short story can’t offer an answer … but maybe if we all start living the questions we can find one together?