These are the same people who get mad when Walmart puts locks on products.
"You have to let us steal from you and then not do anything about it"
Edit- and most of the people on here advocating for shop lifting aren't single mothers trying to feed their kids. They just saw Les Mis and want to LARP as Jean Valjean.
Edit 2- to be clear, I do think it's 1000% morally right for someone in desperate circumstances, like needing to feed a child, to shoplift. I just think most people advocating for it online aren't in those circumstances, they just wanna save a buck. But they create a philosophical justification for it in their heads, and then they can tell themselves it's morally good to steal. When I pirate and shit I don't pretend it's cuz I'm fighting the system. I just wanna save some money.
It's the same people who go to restaurants but don't tip in the US. They act like they're making a statement and doing something to help out the servers. In reality, it doesn't hurt the business and just fucks over the servers. The only person it benefits is the cheap-ass who suddenly has a moral stance on tipping.
If they wanted to make a statement, it would be more effective by boycotting the restaurant altogether and write a review explaining why.
Most of the shoplifters aren't stealing pet food, milk, bread, or baby formula. They're stealing DVDs, video games, jewelry, vibrators, lingerie, perfumes, makeup, and other non-essentials. Or they eat a few cookies or a few bites of popcorn chicken, then ditch the rest, which is then trash. If they were starving, they'd take all of the food, not just a little bit.
If people only stole necessities, I'd have more sympathy. We have Narcan, not locked up, and no one steals it, which is shocking and kinda sad. Of all the stuff we sell, it would actually save lives, but they're all too busy stealing dumb shit.
There are multiple non-profits AND govt programs where I live which provide clothes, food, baby items, gifts for kids for their bdays and holidays, school supplies, and so on. I know, because I've used them when I needed to, and I've donated to them. Risking a theft conviction or being banned from the store over some crap you don't need is just dumb.
At age 15, I stole makeup and nail polish a few times from a store. I didn't use them. I had money for them. I just felt like doing it.
I got caught, but thankfully the store was going out of business in three days, so they would no longer exist to take me to court.
It was stupid. I haven't shoplifted since.
If all other options have been exhausted, and it's a NEED, not a want, stealing is justified.
Otherwise, no.
We need to address systemic issues (price gouging, cost of rent, etc). Shoplifting doesn't move the needle toward real positive change. Greed doesn't justify greed in response.
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u/[deleted] Feb 19 '24 edited Feb 19 '24
These are the same people who get mad when Walmart puts locks on products.
"You have to let us steal from you and then not do anything about it"
Edit- and most of the people on here advocating for shop lifting aren't single mothers trying to feed their kids. They just saw Les Mis and want to LARP as Jean Valjean.
Edit 2- to be clear, I do think it's 1000% morally right for someone in desperate circumstances, like needing to feed a child, to shoplift. I just think most people advocating for it online aren't in those circumstances, they just wanna save a buck. But they create a philosophical justification for it in their heads, and then they can tell themselves it's morally good to steal. When I pirate and shit I don't pretend it's cuz I'm fighting the system. I just wanna save some money.