[systemvoltage]

Since when is even stealing anything excusable? Stealing $300 purse or $30000 car is exactly the same thing morally. The value of the item is in some ways orthogonal.

Theft should be punished in the strongest forms possible so no one even thinks about doing it. Minimum 1 year in prison for stealing anything.

Convince me otherwise.

[tjalfi]

One problem with this is that most cases don't go to trial and miscarriages of justice are a regular occurrence.

Many cases 90+% ([0], [1]) are plea-bargained out, e.g. the accused couldn't afford representation, the public defender takes the offer, etc.

Some of these people were innocent but serving a year in prison will make it hard for them to rebuild their lives.

[0] https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/prisons-are-packed-bec...

[1] https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2017/09/innocen...

[AnimalMuppet]

I mostly agree with you. But...

Let's say someone steals a $300 purse or a $30000 car. Nobody needs either a $300 purse or a $30000 car. But let's say someone steals $10 of food from a grocery store. They may legitimately need that. (Or they may just have poor self-control.) If someone legitimately needs food, I could bend my mind far enough to call that "excusable".

[systemvoltage]

Then the society should make provisions to directly provide food for the needy.

Allowing stealing is not tackling the problem head-on and instead squirming on a morally questionable line and thereby breeding crime and ill in the society.

[AnimalMuppet]

That's perfectly reasonable to say that society should do that.

In the meantime, though, society doesn't do that, at least not consistently enough. So in the current circumstances, I still have some compassion for someone in genuine need who steals food.

[systemvoltage]

From this thread, it seems like the society itself has voted to allow crime.

So, let me get this straight and state curtly - A city allows crime, then complains about rising crime!?

May be people of this city should question their understanding of how to run a good society.

[woofcat]

Whilst I don't live in California or even America. I'm about 95% sure you guys have food banks, as my company has donated to them.

[Khaine]

And what of the local business owner who has invested his life saving in a business, and needs the income from the business to feed his family? How is it okay to let people steal from him because "it's only $10". Thats figuratively food being taken from his family's mouth.

This is why laws need to be enforced uniformly.

[ehvatum]

> But let's say someone steals $10 of food from a grocery store

If you allow that, you will soon enough be without grocery stores!!!

[conanbatt]

I think so too, and it is also defensible for the store owner to protect his 10$ with 0.50 cent shotgun shells.

[sundaeofshock]

Are you suggesting that stealing $10 worth of food is an executable offense?

[conanbatt]

Nope

[tomjen3]

If there wasn't food banks, food stamps or penhandling, maybe.

[mensetmanusman]

It costs $50k to house someone for a year.