Depraved by Ricky

          The word depraved comes to us via the 14th century AD (1325-75 to be less precise). The Middle English word, depraven (Anglo-French), which in turn was descended from the Latin depravare. But then, who really cares about that. Does that make me depraved because I don't really care from where the word came?

          I rather enjoy the obsolete usage of the word, as in: The Republicans keep depraving President Obama's efforts, citizenship, and religious faith.  Especially since their real reason for criticizing him (beyond being power hungry) is not his politics, but his skin color.  They are afraid of losing the support of Black Republicans who could vote as a block for a black candidate and they do not have one in 2012.

          The more common usage of the word falls into three primary categories: 1. to make morally bad or evil; 2. to vitiate; and 3. to corrupt.  So here's the problem with these definitions.  What is morally bad or evil?  In Christianity, the moral code is fairly standard among the various sects, but not entirely.  Other religions have other criteria.  In Christianity, it is morally wrong to lie and bare false witness against someone, but does that make Ted Haggart “depraved” or just a lying hypocrite? If a husband or boyfriend lies in answering the question, “Sweetheart, do you like this new lamp I bought?” to avoid hurting the feelings of his loved one OR to avoid an argument over the lamp, is he depraved for not telling his honest opinion?

          What is evil?  Most religious people would agree that the Devil is evil, but what acts does he do that are evil?  Tempting people to violate the moral code?  If tempting people is evil, then all people who encourage others who are on a diet to eat something “just this once” or talk an alcoholic into having just one little drink would be classified as evil.  I doubt most people would agree to that.  If the Devil is evil because he says there is no God, what about parents who declare Santa Clause or the Easter Bunny real to their children, or people who lie and cheat on their income taxes? Are they all evil too?  What about the case of political parties or individual political groups who lie about and distort the truth about another candidate?  Are they also evil?  If Americans cannot yell “FIRE” in a theater as a joke without being punished, why can people in political campaigns slander an opponent with no legal consequence?  Isn't slandering a good man “evil”?

          I really don't even want to discuss the “to vitiate” and “to corrupt” categories, so I am done ranting except for one more thought.  If there is no God or Supreme Being or etc., how can there be a legitimate moral code to base our laws upon?  Where can a person go to find a place where his so called “depravities” are his “pursuits of happiness"?

Origin: 

1325–75;Middle English depraven (<Anglo-French) <Latin dēprāvāre to pervert,corrupt,equivalent to dē-de-+prāv (us) crooked+-āre  infinitive suffix

de·prave

[dih-preyv]

verb (used with object), praved,-prav·ing.

to make morally bad or evil; vitiate;corrupt.

Obsolete. to defame.

vi·ti·ate

[vish-ee-eyt]

verb (used with object), -at·ed, -at·ing.

to impair the quality of; make faulty; spoil.

to impair or weaken the effectiveness of.

to debase; corrupt; pervert.

to make legally defective or invalid; invalidate: to vitiate a claim.

© 5 December 2011

About the Author

Ricky was born in June of 1948 in downtown Los Angeles.  He lived first in Lawndale and then in Redondo Beach, both suburbs of LA.  Just prior to turning 8 years old, he was sent to live with his grandparents on their farm in Isanti County, Minnesota for two years while his parents obtained a divorce; unknown to him.

When united with his mother and stepfather in 1958, he lived first at Emerald Bay and then at South Lake Tahoe, California, graduating from South Tahoe High School in 1966.  After three tours of duty with the Air Force, he moved to Denver, Colorado where he lived with his wife and four children until her passing away from complications of breast cancer four days after 9-11.

He came out as a gay man in the summer of 2010.  He says, "I find writing these memories to be therapeutic."

Ricky's story blog is, TheTahoeBoy.Blogspot.com.