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Crime is not the same as morality. A starving, homeless resident stealing a sandwich from the corner store might be theft. But I think most people wouldn’t say

Crime is not the same as morality. A starving, homeless resident stealing a sandwich from the corner store might be theft. But I think most people wouldn’t say that that particular theft was immoral. Of course the people stealing from the railroad aren’t necessarily pilfering items to meet an immediate human need. But according to reporting this weekend from the LA Times, some of the thieves do indeed live in camps near the railroad. And who knows why they’re stealing — maybe one needs cash for insulin and another is fueling a drug addiction. In either case (and this is a hot take) I’d still argue these acts aren’t necessarily immoral. Addiction is a powerful force, perhaps more so than urges of hunger and thirst. And of course no one wants to die of uncontrolled diabetes!

throwawayboise 5y ago
But why doesn't that hungry homeless person go to one of the many charities, community kitchens, etc. that hand out food for free with no strings attached? Most likely because they are in a place selling food, they know there is no punishment if they just take it, so they do.
- jdavis703 5y ago
  Off the top of my head, charities might be closed, they might be banned from a given location (perhaps for stealing from the charity’s other clients) or perhaps they’re ignorant of the available resources.
  - esyir 5y ago
    That sounds like rationalising away bad behaviour. If there are many good options and the person performs the one with maximal negative effects on society, I'm perfectly happy to hit him with punishment. I'm more amenable to necessity, but that's not what you're talking about here.
seanmcdirmid 5y ago
> A starving, homeless resident stealing a sandwich from the corner store might be theft. They qualify for CaliFresh, it’s not like they’ll starve unless they can figure out how to trade food for drugs. > maybe one needs cash for insulin and another is fueling a drug addiction. One you can get with Medicaid (well, Medi-cal), the other you can’t. Diabetics would definitely qualify if they meet the residency requirement.

throwawayboise 5y ago

But why doesn't that hungry homeless person go to one of the many charities, community kitchens, etc. that hand out food for free with no strings attached? Most likely because they are in a place selling food, they know there is no punishment if they just take it, so they do.

jdavis703 5y ago
Off the top of my head, charities might be closed, they might be banned from a given location (perhaps for stealing from the charity’s other clients) or perhaps they’re ignorant of the available resources.
- esyir 5y ago
  That sounds like rationalising away bad behaviour. If there are many good options and the person performs the one with maximal negative effects on society, I'm perfectly happy to hit him with punishment. I'm more amenable to necessity, but that's not what you're talking about here.

seanmcdirmid 5y ago

> A starving, homeless resident stealing a sandwich from the corner store might be theft. They qualify for CaliFresh, it’s not like they’ll starve unless they can figure out how to trade food for drugs. > maybe one needs cash for insulin and another is fueling a drug addiction. One you can get with Medicaid (well, Medi-cal), the other you can’t. Diabetics would definitely qualify if they meet the residency requirement.