4 ms·

Have you, personally, ever known anyone who couldn't afford food? But you know people like that exist, right?

Supermancho 3y ago
I was unable to afford food around 1995. I have both dated and had family members on food stamps/EBT, which will easily keep you alive in California and Washington state (don't know about the rest of the nation). I know multiple people who could afford food, but spend it on alcohol/drugs consistently and end up with very little to eat (going to food banks and such).
- pengaru 3y ago
  EBT eligibility varies substantially across the nation. California being on the maximally eligible end of the spectrum AIUI. Even if you have EBT though, not all stores accept it, and you can't put gas in your car using EBT, nor buy non-food items like booze. So it's easy to understand why broke people would shoplift. Baby formula in particular is a hot item for shoplifters since it's so easy to turn into cash. (and also why it's locked up near the cigarettes in many stores)
zmnd 3y ago
I am originally from one of the poorest countries, and my family constantly struggled with food for about 10 years. So I am well aware of the struggle. As well as I am exposed to poor people who immigrated to the US. With all of that, no, I don't believe that there are people who actually starve in here. There are extensive food bank networks, generous religious organizations (most of them not that pushy), and in general people in the US are kind, despite what media says. I saw plenty of videos of people from my country showing food they got from a food bank, and most of them highlight how generous it is. Despite all the struggle, my family never stole. And poor people around me rarely stole as well. Thieves whenever caught were judged by people around, and there was always social pressure to keep everything orderly. What surprised my in the US is how normalized the whole thing is. It's always "stores have an insurance", "they are just trying to survive", and other excuses from people who never lived in poverty and just want to feel better about themselves.
prepend 3y ago
Of course people can’t afford food. It’s not appropriate or accurate to think that because someone is hungry and can’t afford food that they would steal. That’s stereotyping poor people as criminals.
- berbec 3y ago
  Not understanding the basic idea of "{I, a loved one} is hungry; I will steal to feed {myself, them}" is an amazing thing to me. I am so glad people exist who can't understand this thinking. Not because of any moral idealism about "stealing is wrong", but the fact the person thinking this has obviously never been in a place where the options were "stealing" or "starvation". Not to go Les Mis, but it is an easy choice for me if my wife was hungry, to go out and steal some bread.
  - prepend 3y ago
    > Not to go Les Mis, but it is an easy choice for me if my wife was hungry, to go out and steal some bread. It’s nice you have such certainty. If you were actually starving and wanted to get food for your wife, there are more efficient methods than stealing. It’s funny that you assume that people don’t know starving or stealing. If it’s obvious to you then you need to rethink your reasoning as while you may find it obvious, you’re wrong as I certainly know both these things. It’s not idealism to say “stealing is wrong.” That’s the law of the land. Of course, this article isn’t about starving people stealing food. It’s about jerks stealing from the dollar store. Maybe they are all starving. Probably they aren’t. If you want to say that it’s ok to steal if you’re starving, then say it. I’m not sure where you live, but I’m fortunate enough that in my city, state, and country we help people who are hungry so they don’t need to steal. If anyone here steals food, I don’t think it’s due to starvation. Other areas may be different, but I’d like to hear people’s basis for thinking starvation is a significant factor for stealing. I feel like you’re taking a hypothetical edge situation “starving people just steal and it’s ok for that” and applying it to a situation where criminals are stealing from the dollar store and increasing prices for people who shop there, who happen to be vulnerable populations including people who are hungry and perhaps even starving.

I was unable to afford food around 1995. I have both dated and had family members on food stamps/EBT, which will easily keep you alive in California and Washington state (don't know about the rest of the nation). I know multiple people who could afford food, but spend it on alcohol/drugs consistently and end up with very little to eat (going to food banks and such).

pengaru 3y ago
EBT eligibility varies substantially across the nation. California being on the maximally eligible end of the spectrum AIUI. Even if you have EBT though, not all stores accept it, and you can't put gas in your car using EBT, nor buy non-food items like booze. So it's easy to understand why broke people would shoplift. Baby formula in particular is a hot item for shoplifters since it's so easy to turn into cash. (and also why it's locked up near the cigarettes in many stores)

zmnd 3y ago

I am originally from one of the poorest countries, and my family constantly struggled with food for about 10 years. So I am well aware of the struggle. As well as I am exposed to poor people who immigrated to the US. With all of that, no, I don't believe that there are people who actually starve in here. There are extensive food bank networks, generous religious organizations (most of them not that pushy), and in general people in the US are kind, despite what media says. I saw plenty of videos of people from my country showing food they got from a food bank, and most of them highlight how generous it is. Despite all the struggle, my family never stole. And poor people around me rarely stole as well. Thieves whenever caught were judged by people around, and there was always social pressure to keep everything orderly. What surprised my in the US is how normalized the whole thing is. It's always "stores have an insurance", "they are just trying to survive", and other excuses from people who never lived in poverty and just want to feel better about themselves.

prepend 3y ago

Of course people can’t afford food. It’s not appropriate or accurate to think that because someone is hungry and can’t afford food that they would steal. That’s stereotyping poor people as criminals.

berbec 3y ago
Not understanding the basic idea of "{I, a loved one} is hungry; I will steal to feed {myself, them}" is an amazing thing to me. I am so glad people exist who can't understand this thinking. Not because of any moral idealism about "stealing is wrong", but the fact the person thinking this has obviously never been in a place where the options were "stealing" or "starvation". Not to go Les Mis, but it is an easy choice for me if my wife was hungry, to go out and steal some bread.
- prepend 3y ago
  > Not to go Les Mis, but it is an easy choice for me if my wife was hungry, to go out and steal some bread. It’s nice you have such certainty. If you were actually starving and wanted to get food for your wife, there are more efficient methods than stealing. It’s funny that you assume that people don’t know starving or stealing. If it’s obvious to you then you need to rethink your reasoning as while you may find it obvious, you’re wrong as I certainly know both these things. It’s not idealism to say “stealing is wrong.” That’s the law of the land. Of course, this article isn’t about starving people stealing food. It’s about jerks stealing from the dollar store. Maybe they are all starving. Probably they aren’t. If you want to say that it’s ok to steal if you’re starving, then say it. I’m not sure where you live, but I’m fortunate enough that in my city, state, and country we help people who are hungry so they don’t need to steal. If anyone here steals food, I don’t think it’s due to starvation. Other areas may be different, but I’d like to hear people’s basis for thinking starvation is a significant factor for stealing. I feel like you’re taking a hypothetical edge situation “starving people just steal and it’s ok for that” and applying it to a situation where criminals are stealing from the dollar store and increasing prices for people who shop there, who happen to be vulnerable populations including people who are hungry and perhaps even starving.