American Criminals

I’d like to say something about all the “low-life” criminals in America:

Television, movie, software and music pirating on the internet has provided low-income homes access to entertainment that would otherwise be mostly out of reach. Online pirates have forced the media industry to keep their prices competitive. For that, I thank you.

Without drug dealers, society never would have learned of the medicinal benefits of marijuana, and thousands of patients would be suffering needlessly. For everyone who enjoys marijuana or uses it as medicine, we owe criminals a little gratitude.

In the 1970’s, organized criminals sought to undermine our laws and distribute pornography. The ultimate result was legalization, and the beginning of a new industry. For everyone who enjoys porn, or who has enjoyed the rapid advancement of the internet as a result of pornography, we owe criminals a thank you.

Around the same time, gangsters were running illegal gay bars. In America, The Mob were the first people to recognize the rights of the gay community and give them places where they could go and be themselves. These bars are where the gay rights movement originally began, so for every openly gay person in America, the criminals deserve a little thanks.

Sure, we can argue that criminals are only trying to make a buck, but doctors and nurses get a paycheck too. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t thank them for saving our lives.

In 1963, the notorious criminal, Martin Luther King wrote from a jail cell, “We know through painful experience that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed.” Countless criminals engaged in civil disobedience and risked their freedom to stand up for what they believed in. Now we all reap the benefits of that and they deserve a little thanks.

During prohibition, organized criminals continued distributing alcohol, despite the risk of death and imprisonment, and eventually won the right for all Americans to have a drink. So everyone who enjoys a glass of wine or beer after work, should give thanks to the criminals who made it possible.

African Americans, as we all know, were freed by criminals, the people seen by society as lawless degenerates who ran the system that brought the escaped slaves to Canada, blatantly spitting in the face of law and order to do what they knew was right.

And when The United States first formed, who made it happen? Traitors and criminals, fighting against the clearly established law and order of the time, murdering British officers like any other cop-killer. These were individuals who cared more about their communities and their future than they did about following rules. Lawless criminals… who built our nation.

So next time you think about blindly judging a criminal as a bad person, please take a few moments to think about American history, and think about all that these people have sacrificed for your freedom.

Originally published at kalinbooks.com.

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