I don’t understand crime. I know that people can reach a desperation point and take things that aren’t theirs because they can’t fill their needs legitimately. I cannot and will not condone it at all. I don’t think I’d be like Javert, but Jean Valjean still should not have stolen that loaf of bread.
I read a piece in the paper where the writer said she understood how a woman could steal a baby. The tone of the article was almost forgiving. I couldn’t believe it. I will not carry a successful pregnancy. I miscarried twice and went through years of infertility treatments. I coveted pregnant bellies. I longed after babies. I never once even considered stealing another mother’s child.
Of course there are people who don’t feel the same way I do. Our prisons are filled with them. If these people would harness the energies they put into nefarious activities into legitimate work, they would be able to produce and earn at incredible levels. I was recently reminded about a crime that is not new, but is getting more sophisticated: Skimming credit card information. The thieves put a device called a skimmer where credit and debit cards are swiped. They return at a later time to retrieve the skimmer and all the card information collected. They use the information to duplicate debit cards and drain the linked accounts at the ATM. The skimmers are able to pick up PIN information now as well. If you’re using a debit machine and it seems odd in any way, cancel your transaction and alert someone.
If we all adhered to what we learned in kindergarten to keep our hands to ourselves; respected the Golden Rule to do unto others as we would have them do unto us; and obeyed the eighth commandment, the world would be a much better place.