Oh, the economy.

I know that times are hard . . . but sometimes it's so easy to forget that when you're gainfully employed (and not looking at your 401 statements).

I was subtly reminded of how hard times are tonight during a trip to CVS.  As my wife and I stood waiting for the cashier to ring out a small queue of customers, we saw her glance back to the rear of the store and shout, "Cindy!" in a semi-desperate tone.  Naturally, we began to tune into our surroundings.

As her eyes dodged around, she began to murmur something imperceivable in an anxious tone.  There was a young man near us looking through the gift card station.

Someone from the rear of the store announced, "Security to aisle 2" on the intercom (I didn't know CVS had security).  I began to look around for "suspects".  Nobody made for the door.  Weird, I thought.  Whatever warranted that announcement didn't seem to bother whatever or whoever was bothering the cashier. Not a minute later 2 of Akron police stormed through the doors, glancing around.

The cashier began to motion toward the young man who had since left the gift card section.  After some commotion, they seized him, but I didn't see anything on him that he might have attempted to steal.  [I'd say he was around twenty years old, and didn't appear to be poor or anything - but can't judge a book by its cover.] The cashier proceeded to lock the doors, and directed the police to search the store for 2 bags the man had left in other areas of the store.  They found the bags and brought them to the cash wrap.

One of the policemen escorted the suspect outside to the police wagon, while the other emptied the two bags onto the floor and asked for one of the cashiers to tally the goods.  Out of the bag fell various items: A Nerf basketball hoop. Several (10 or so?) gift cards. A plethora of canned goods and other foods.

My wife began to comment about how she felt so bad for this individual, while I coolly and coldly judged him to myself.  She said that she felt so bad for someone who has to steal food.  Some part of me was corrected at that moment, and I began to feel guilty for my thoughts.

I wondered the following . . . why didn't this person make a break for it after security was summoned over the intercom?  Didn't he hear it?  He could have left the bags and gotten away on foot easily.  Why was he attempting to steal gift cards?  Didn't he know that they are no good until activated?

During our checkout process we began to query the obviously disconcerted cashier.  She was so happy to have caught the criminal.  I asked, "Why the gift cards?"  She responded that they are easily sold (for a lesser amount) to someone who doesn't know they're not activated.  Made sense to me, putting myself in the seller's shoes.  She also commented that he had just absconded with several items not a half hour earlier, and had returned for another round of free stuff.  This explains why the cops were so responsive to the call that had been placed during the current round of thievery - they were nearby.

So . . . I'm reeling.  We're reeling.  To have witnessed such a spectacle.  Putting the puzzle together, we're guessing that he has fallen on hard times; otherwise he might not be committing this act.  He was stealing food.  And a toy geared for a child.

Is stealing right, when you've no food?  No.  It's wrong.  But it still hurts to see that happening.  What's weird is that this is the second time I've seen this type of act in the last 2 weeks - stealing food.  Stealing the gift cards to presumably make a buck and the toy to please a child is wrong, but it brought to light that someone else was perhaps dependent upon this man.  I'm conflicted at what I saw, and one part of me hurts, and the other says justice has been served.

Now, I'm not a ninny who can't discern the difference between right and wrong - I am not vacillating on the issues brought to light in this situation.  I hold strong convictions about most things and do believe in logic, and justice follows some semblance of logic (for the most part).  But I also have a heart.  And here begins the struggle between the brain and the heart.

On the short drive home, we discussed what we saw.  Some part of me felt guilty for my seemingly frivolous purchase.  A fleeting thought about my even being employed made me sink a little.  I quickly justified our successes with the hard work we laid as the foundation.  This is something we've done because society dictates we can - work hard, and reap the accolades that result.  Nobody will tell me that we don't deserve it without an earful from me.

I've given the criminal the benefit of the doubt in this case, which I will admit is a big shortcoming of mine.  I've been taken advantage of in the past for being "nice".  Hey, the guy could have been (and probably is) living comfortably - but then why would he resort to this?

Is our economy so bad that there isn't something else for people to do?  Isn't McDonalds or Wal-Mart hiring?  Or are they truly to capacity?  Are there really no jobs to be had?  None?

So, my reset button was pressed.  Back to planet earth.

The economy sucks right now - but I still believe in it.  We hold the right to believe what we believe without persecution.  I will state that our capitalistic society rewards those who work hard, and punishes those who disregard it.  On the contrary, a communistic state rewards those who are the dregs of society, and punishes those who would otherwise care to make a better life for themselves.  I won't go into Socialism and the government controlling industry . . . Anyway, if we didn't have a society with truly poor contrasting with truly elite and all of the colors in between, it wouldn't be America.

All things considered, this is America . . . and I believe our system is the most self-cleansing.  In a perfect world, I wouldn't have written this post.