Thou shall not steal Exodus 20:15

  Yesterday I posted the following post in a town group and couldn’t believe some of the responses I got, until administration took it down. I am sharing it here because I’m curious to know what people think. Well, I know how some people think after reading the comments, but I guess if anyone reading this also thinks this woman’s actions are justified or that I am wrong for “seeing something and saying something’, can you explain to me how my response to what I saw is wrong?

 I stopped at Cumby’s in Plaistow, to make a tea and I saw a woman get a muffin bag and fill it with a bunch of different coffee creamers as well as sugar, Stevia, Splenda, Equal etc. and she walked out the door, apparently to put her stolen goods in the car. 2 seconds later, she walks in, takes a large styrofoam coffee cup out of the holder and fills that up with even more creamers. I took my uncovered tea right to the cashier and told her that the woman was robbing them blind of all the creamers and sugars. The cashier asked if I’d repeat what I told her to the manager and I said “yes, but she’ll be gone”, sure enough, she was gone in a flash, before I finished telling the manager. I gave her a description. I hope they check out the cameras and catch her. How brazen some people are. I mean obviously nobody is going to die without creams & sugars, so it’s not like she was in a desperate situation. How scummy! If you, the person who did this, are reading this. Shame on you. Get a job! It’s thieves like you that make prices go up for the innocent, law abiding citizens.

People not only said I was judging this woman, but saying I should have been more compassionate, understanding, that I didn’t know her story, that she may have fallen on hard times etc. If this woman was stealing a steak or something, I might hesitate to think that she may be hungry or trying to feed her family, however, she was stealing creamers and sugars and I can’t wrap my head around how these items would somehow be a necessity? One guy even went as far as saying “maybe she was going to use the creamers to put in her starving kid’s cereal”… c’mon, really? Do people even hear themselves? I said” if that was the case, I hope her child enjoyed her pumpkin spice, hazelnut, caramel, sweet cream, stevia, splendor, equal, sugar tasting cornflakes.” So ridiculous.

Just from this small post, I was accused of being a cold and heartless person who they hope never falls on hard times. None of the people who said these things even know me. I am a person with a good heart, I am honest and I have integrity. I have fallen on hard times in the past where I had to seek help and I have paid it forward any chance I’ve had, but not once have I stolen anything. I have gone without and have made sacrifices when my children were small, so they wouldn’t have to. When things got too bad, I asked for help, I worked numerous jobs, I sold some of my belongings, but again, the thought never crossed my mind that stealing would be an option. I am shocked at the responses to the above post and how many people justified this woman’s actions, acting like it’s no big deal. Is this why so many kids today lack respect and morals? My kids are grown (Thank God), but has this world really come to “anything goes” without any consequence or moral compass? Was I not supposed to report this thief because I might offend her because I “don’t know her story”? 

At first I was dumbfounded by what I had witnessed, that this woman was brazen enough to help herself to such a big amount of these things and then actually come back for more, but the comments I read from people condoning her actions, shocked me even more.

What are your thoughts? I’d love to hear them. (Please don’t make this political).