Another statue downed by a mob

[CJD]

I don't have a lot of knowledge about law, but there is one concept in law that I find interesting and that is the difference between Malum In Se and Malum Prohibitum crimes.

Malum In Se, literally "Evil in itself," are crimes that are, by their very nature, evil or bad. Like murder or rape.

Malum Prohibitum, literally "wrong as prohibited," are crimes that are considered illegal because of the laws that are in place. Underage drinking or hunting without the correct permit are examples of Malum Prohibitum crimes (though there are more severe Malum Prohibitum crimes as well, such as resisting arrest or prostitution).

When it comes to taking down statues that likely should be taken down if you consider them ethically or morally compromised persons of history, I find myself asking whether the illegality of it is Malum In Se or Malum Prohibitum.

On the one hand, tearing down property that does not belong to you very likely would be considered Malum In Se...but on the other, removing a monument to one of the worst people in American history is...I dunno. It's pretty ethical and moral if you ask me. So even though it is illegal, I don't think you can call the act of removing the statue evil in itself.

I guess I fall into the camp of "I would prefer they go through the proper channels to get it removed, but I'm not upset that it has been taken down, regardless of how that result occurred."

After all, I understand that our governing bodies are notoriously slow to actually do what's right until it's trendy or absolutely required (or, more accurately, absolutely required years ago).