Crime due to desperation

What a wonderful, compassionate man! I fear, though, that he's become victim of a new scheme. The fact that the man left the bread probably means that he wasn't really committing a crime for food. I hope that Mr. Sohail's kindness is returned to him tenfold, whether it was a scam or not. His heart is in the right place. There are programs we taxpayers fund to feed people who have no food. I know they might be difficult to apply for but there are food pantries and a wealth of other resources for people who are barely getting by or have fallen through the safety nets. You may argue this man was too proud to apply for public assistance, but then how could he not be too proud to sully his name with a crime? I don't believe the robber for a moment. But God bless Mr. Sohail!

a lot of that happens here in the philippines, in order for them to survive, they steal. it's sad that people resort to doing bad things in order for them to live. there are programs that can help these people here in the philippines but, the problem is - the government doesn't have unlimited supplies and the ngo's doesn't have enough sponsor for continued assistance to these kind of people/family. it's sad T_T

Hi TLChimes, You are right and the proof is there and has been there for all to see since recorded history, we just won't admit it. The cause of much of this is greed and our failure to practice what we preach. I believe that most people would steal food if their family was starving, and in a society where the wealthy are dying from diseases brought on by too rich a diet, I would even say it's right. Perhaps it's time for a new Charles Dickens or Victor Hugo to emerge and help us to see the evils within our society. Blessings.

Hi there, Very apt discussion. Desperation surely leads to criminal act and this is a universal phenomenon. Now just look at those countries where so called ultras are teeming up, most of them are the groups of the needy people who have taken to arms only because they had no two square meals. Government policy also is responsible for many reasons.

Les Miserable anyone? Jean Val John stole bread to feed his hungry child in Victor Hugo's story, and so it is that history will repeat itself one again. How can any sane person NOT help some one who is so desperately in need? How could anyone, in good conscience, prosecute this man? Kudos to the clerk for his compassion, I wish more had it.

I saw that on the news and I felt for that man. I have been in the situation where I was desperate but I was raised so strongly to believe that stealing is wrong that I would have starved before I would steal from anyone. there are places he could go to get help for his family and I disagree with his actions. the storeowner was kind and that is a beautiful thing but i still feel that stealing is wrong. churches have soup kitchens and there are places to get help if you are that much in need. i know that in my area crime has gone up because of desperate times but it makes me sick because i just don't believe that stealing is the only option.

I didn't read the link but I'm wary of the fact that the thief is proclaiming that he would never rob again. ??? I might play around with my words from time to time, but as a rule I try not to use the word never because forever is a very long time and never implies forever. My gift to GOD is that I would not use profanity in public, I could even say that I'll never use profanity in public, what I really mean is that I will try my best to not use profanity in public because I made a covenant with GOD not to do so. Now there is a public document that I made available for everyone to read where I did repeat the profanity that I heard. I repeated the profanity under duress the threat was either I repeat what I heard or go to jail. I was hoping that my lawyer would make an objection and an argument to prevent me from having to breech my religious convictions, the pressure was enormous and I felt absolutely compelled to comply with the request of the officers of the court. What is the difference? I preferred to remain free... The thief has put himself in jail and worse, his soul is tarnished.

People are certainly pushed to do things they wouldn't normally do. But, at it this way: Look what the clerk did! He was put into a position too and look what he did. Good can come from this. Compassion and having a heart for this poor guy. He was desperate and compassion came out in the clerk. It was really sort of cool if you chose to look at it that way!

The store clerk showed his worth during this incident. I have to wonder though…The robber didn’t take the bread and fled after receiving $40. My instincts tell me that the robber may have felt guilty for what he was doing but I am not so sure about the starving family but it is not up to me to judge someone I don’t know and regardless of the circumstances the thief was obviously desperate. Times do suck, Chimes and people are doing things they never thought they would do and I just hope this incident doesn’t set a precedent for others to take advantage and play the desperate victim card when committing a crime.

There are times that poverty are being made as an excuse for crimes committed. Though others sometimes are forced to this out of their concern for their starving children sometimes we can't blame them if they don't find any other recourse though still wrong but there are others who really have a big heart like the clerk you mentioned in your post. At least The bad guy was turned to good by the action of the kindhearted clerk.

Hello my friend TLChimes Ji, I do not think, this is rare case around the world, there have been many cases on same lines. Great Indian poet Kalidas was out many such cases long long back, who used to rob passers for fooding his parents. Bishop and candle-sticks too surrounds about this. Great Phoolan Devi decoit was out of such frustration. Crime takes birth because of frustration only. May God bless You and have a great time.

THis was avery good article to bring to people's attention.

I agree, times are really going bad now......specially because of the economic crunch.......you can attribute a major chunk of racism that is happening in Australia to this economic crunch.......people have got so desperate to earn money and to have a stable job that they just don't understand what they are doing.........people are frustrated with whats happening around them.......what can one do when you have a ailing parents back at home? what can on do if you have a family to look after? yes there are ways to fulfill these needs, but humans as we are we always look for a short cut !!!!

Maybe the economy is responsible for the increase in crime but also the human reaction to it has certainly became less judgemental. We are used to see terrible thing happening but not necessarily do something about them.

I think alot of people will start doing things that they would normally not do. You can't get a job, do odd jobs for money. It is really getting bad.

I know someone who was just as desperate. Fell on some hard times, had a family to support and didn't know where to turn. Unfortunately did the same thing (didn't pray in front of the clerk though). He went to prison for many, many years. I hope this guy doesn't suffer the same fate.

Hi TLChimes, Sometimes, I'm being a cynic here, do you think people use the economics as an exscuse for commiting crime and do you thik this man done to get free food knowing that this shop owner is good hearted? I asked because in this day and age people are no very honest and if they are starving, they can sell their household goods and I have heard that some families rather stave then give up their cars. Tamara

In this time of recession more people are forced into desperate measures. I've had good Catholic friends who believe that stealing food so your family to live is not a sin. Still, the robber probably had options in our wealthy country. His statement could have been a con. Only if he is caught will we learn his "real" story. This recession is contrived. The rich get richer. The poor get poorer and many of the middle class are slipping into poverty.

When I first read this post, I thought, 'if I encountered such a pitiful person, I would shed more than a tear for him'. Now, after reading the link's content, I feel otherwise. I feel such moral outrage, and such sorrow, and such gladness that people like this clerk live. I feel such pity toward the clerk. I feel his injustice, being taken advantage of. Perhaps its somewhat due to personal experience. I come to wonder at such evils in this world. Why do people choose not to do what they know for sure is better? Adventure is such a false answer to that question. The better is never surpassed by 'other experience', and what greater good is there than keeping to righteousness?

it is terrible that people have to resort to that just to feed their family it is also wonderful that some people still have compassion for their fellow man