In recent stories I have heard on the news of people robbing banks, retail stores, grocery stores, malls, who steal gasoline, so on and so forth has got my blood boiling. I just do not see the logic in people who commit fraud, who steal, who shoplift, who do terrible things to get money and items from other people. I know that times are tough, prices are increasing, and that people will do anything to survive, but have those people ever thought of making a nice clean living? have they thought about making an honest living? It doesn’t matter what people are going through, stealing is wrong in so many levels. It is one of the 10 commandments in the bible saying thou shall not steal in Exodus – Chapter 20.. If people do not have the money to buy something, they should not buy it, if people are in deep debt and keep getting into deeper debt, maybe its about time to stop buying things you cannot afford and pay off your debt. It will save your reputation with your credit and then the collections agency to be after you. It is not a good thing to go through. Debt is one of the main reasons why people find the thrill to shoplift, steal and fraud other people for money.
Always set aside money and things for a rainy day. You never know when you might need it. I know people work so hard to make ends meet from paycheck to paycheck, but everyone can be debt free when they budget themselves and buy important things rather than dishing out for unimportant things like a 500 dollar purse, or 300 dollar shoes, or a 800 dollar dress, or extra fees and monthly payments of certain things in the house. That money can be saved for important things like necessities to survive, like food, important hygiene products, useful things for the house, saving up the travel somewhere.
I am not telling you how to spend your money and your hard earned cash, but learning the value of money and how you worked so hard earning that money and thinking about spending it before you spend it, is something so important and that will making everything go right and money issues will be no more. I cannot stress how important it is to save save save. You can put a down payment on a house, you can buy a car, you can do anything, but make sure it is for the right reasons. Money will go within seconds. Saving some aside is not a bad thing.
Shoplifting, Fraud, and Stealing will put a huge dent into someones life for good and it will be on your record for the rest of your life and if your looking for employment, if your looking for a relationship and when your employer or when your better half finds out, the trust will be gone and trust will be so hard to get back. So be honest, making an honest living, and do not steal and do terrible things to others. I believe in Karma and what goes around comes around and God watches everyone from above. Stealing something that is even 1 Dollar, or Stealing something that is 10 dollars or stealing gas from a gas station or stealing from others. Is it really worth your reputation? Is it really worth your credentials? Is it really worth your record being ruined for life? Is it really worth for someone to go to jail, serving a sentence for it? I don’t think it is worth it at all.
If I don’t have the money for something, I will not buy it and I will not even look at something. Spending money wisely is the way to go. I know that living expenses and the prices of everything are going up, but those need to change too and be fair for the economy and the world we live in and I totally understand that, but again stealing is stealing and it is wrong. It doesn’t matter. the bottom line is when someone is old enough to steal, they are old enough to serve a punishment. When you do the crime, you do the time. It is all that matter in the end because nobody else will clean up your mess you made in terms of your life because you will have a dent that cannot be repaired ever again and even if you try to hide it, the truth always comes out. Think about it.
Talin Orfali Ghazarian 
(Shoplifting, Fraud, and Stealing will put a huge dent into someones life for good and it will be on your record for the rest of your life)
This the magic line that you wrote and it is all about that, they never think of the consequences and don’t realize the punishment, some do it for fun , some do it cause they are sick and some do it cause it is easy money, they all end up in prison sooner or later. some really need the money and those people still live honestly find other resources to manage most of the peopl who do steal are addicted people either drugs or Gambling, it is hard to control hose people. What you say is all true
hey whats happening with the “travel tip&advice” section? its a month and a half late already. im gonna be travelling to the Comoros Islands off the coast of Mozambique next month, so i was wondering if you had any good advice? thx!
Hey TM — There has been a delay in that. I am still gathering all the information I need.
I am not sure about the comoros islands or Mozambique as that won’t be the area of the travel advice and tips as I have not been there yet to experience it, but I am mainly going to target on where I have been and what type of travel I have experienced. It is taking longer than expected, but it should be up soon.
It was mentioned on the radio the other day, that the radio host went to several schools in California to talk (high school and middle school) and he asked the kids if they thought it was wrong to steal. They raised their hand yes. Then he asked if it was wrong to steal from some place like the mall, Best Buy, big box stores. One kid actually stood up and said no because those stores have insurance, so even if people steal they get paid! So the radio host asked if it was wrong to steal from a Mom and Pop shop and the kids said yes. To me it was so disheartening to learn that people do not think stealing is wrong for stealings sake, but what makes it right or wrong is who you steal from.
The issue goes a little deeper than just saying “it is wrong”, or “save your money to not be needing to steal” particularly important in this economy. There is a mindset behind it and as mentioned by “Beautiful Life of Traveling Wife” in the comment above, it sometimes starts very young.
Some steal because they are desparate. Addicts that need their fix. They’re in deep already, stealing doesn’t make it worse for them, it fixes things temporarily. Others have been brought up in that. Dropped out of school, no interest in working an honest salary. This is a disease of society. Starting in school to make sure kids understand vaues young, understand self-esteem, understand striving for goals instead of cheating their way up (through drugs, stealing or other).
Some steal for different desparation. A husband who wants to get his wife a nice mother’s day gift but can’t afford to put food on the table. Stealing from a giant corporation may seem harmless. Of course, not worth the consequences if caught!! To really think about it, a wife would be happiest to see her partner happy, going out day in and day out to find a job, seeing him think positive every step of the way, knowing that she can count on him…
Some steal for the thrill. They can’t find happiness within, so they’ll look for excitement in stupid stunts. This is also something to stop at school level.
Some steal time and items at their workplace. Some steal cash from the registers when they don’t punch in the amount to be tabulated. There are many more sophisticated ways to steal I can’t even imagine I am sure.
So there is a social responsibility element attached to this issue for sure.
We each have to start by doing our chare with our children and ourselves.
As Carmen indicates, criminal, anti-social behaviors stem from a variety of causes. Shaking a finger at the problem and calling it out as something that needs change is an immature part of the process, Talin. Anyone can see it’s a problem, and I’m sure most rational folks can agree there needs to be change. Messages like “save your money” and “do the right thing” don’t really have a ton of meaning when we’re talking about family/community dysfunction at the core. Generations of abuse and unhealthy behavior/relationships have resulted in the reality we move through today.
Other than identifying (and whining) about the obvious, what solutions do you really bring to the table?
Eliza, I would love to correspond with you away from this blog. You are very articulate (I do follow your blog). Please find me on FB or through my blog. Thanks!
very true 🙂
Come on Talin, cut them some slack. If it wasn’t for the thieves, I’d be $ 4,000.00 poorer. Just joking about cutting them slack. I do property maintenance and lately we have had a rash of thefts, mostly copper plumbing and electrical wiring. Most recently, last weekend, someone broke into a house that I had been remodeling for the past three weeks. They tore out the new sheetrock that I had installed just to steal the wiring. Talk about MAD! It’s crazy to do $ 5000.00 damage for $ 150.00 worth of scrap. I must say though that Eliza has a point. Why whine when not making suggestions. Of course it seems that if you’re going to complain about no suggestions on someone’s blog that maybe you might offer some yourself. Oh well, just letting you know that I enjoyed. God Bless You, Grant
Great article! It is easy to condemn shoplifters, rather than to offer solutions.I personally know woman in her late 50th, who shoplifts regularly: she is the nicest and sweetest person I ever met, who will help anyone, who will listen to your problems, rather than live arrogant, righteous and ignorant life. And that is what you do in your post: well- stealing is wrong I agree with you on this, but there are many reasons for shoplifting and homelessness created by faceless, unfriendly system we all automatically “support”today.
This LADY I’ve mentioned was living in abusive marriage with alcoholic , who Thx God recently passed away , leaving her with nothing, her two songs are grown and moved out of their house few years ago. All I am trying to say: many of the shoplifters are good people caught in terrible situation, yet many are greedy bastards who just steal for the thrill, or appearances. So , the stores and businesses keep their extremely high prices for the items which never worth it, it is all unjust speaking of their greed! What would you say about these bankers who received mega-millions of dollars when real estate market crashed down? These greedy old bastards should of been executed immediately, yet they all have gotten hundreds of millions of dollars for their “retirement” (hopefully they’ve got suits with multiply pockets to get buried with all these moneys);these bankers are true THIEVES in the real sense of the word!
Both customers and stores are suck. I wish system will change. So my advise to you Dear Talin; don’t point fingers of righteousness; maybe Karma will get back to you and you’ll end up with becoming the shoplifter! He-he-he.
Love and peace.