I just arrived home from holidays and was reading The NEWS to catch up on what is happening at home. A statement by Cpl. Jesse Foreman really cranked me up, and it follows:
“I want to stress to people it’s almost perpetuating a crime (leaving vehicle doors unlocked)” he told The NEWS. “If everyone in Oceanside locked their vehicle doors this would be far less of a problem.”
Now I have heard some really silly comments before, but this is probably one of the best. What happened to the idea that “stealing” is a crime? I should be able to leave anything out anywhere and it is safe, the vast majority of time. Maybe some cultures have the right idea — you steal something you get your right hand cut off. In this part of the world there is no just cause for theft — there simply is no punishment to curtail it.
There is a level of punishment that curtails almost anything. Maybe we just think that thievery is just part of our societal makeup. Maybe the results of stealing do justify the theft in the eyes of the criminals.
Like driving while texting or using a device, it might be simply raising the bar that gets results. You text/use a phone while driving and get a paltry $200 fine. What happens when you cannot get your license renewed? You break into a car or open the door without the consent of the owner and steal something from within — maybe 30 days of public servitude in a pink suit might get the point across that stealing is a violation of other’s personal rights.
Bob TritschlerParksville