What does James Baldwin mean when he says It is not permissible that the authors of devastation should also be innocent. It is the innocence that constitutes the crime.?

Answer 1

In this quote, James Baldwin is suggesting that those who cause harm or devastation cannot claim innocence because their actions themselves are already a form of guilt. He is emphasizing the responsibility that individuals and systems have for the consequences of their actions, even if they claim ignorance or innocence. By linking innocence to the crime, he is highlighting the complicity of those who enable devastation through their ignorance or denial.