Criminals get off scot-free, you’re the one who pays

Today, it seems that criminals can get away with anything. They commit heinous crimes and often don't face any penalties for their actions. Meanwhile, you're the one who pays the price. You have to live in a world where you're constantly worried about your safety.

An example is the problem of organized retail theft across the country.

This situation struck a friend of mine personally. His wife was involved in an incident at work that directly resulted from a societal shift to accepting criminal behavior.

The foundation of the problem —

Police can't and don't respond, and district attorneys drop charges of the arrested when they do. Other policies enacted to release “non-violent” criminals have proved devastating in communities from California to New York. Bail is either non-existent or so low that criminals are likely back on the street before the officer who arrested them gets off shift, even when arrested for violent crimes. These are just a few factors that have allowed this problem to grow.

Evil and self-service are the natural inclinations of man's heart. As a result, some people commit criminal acts regardless of the consequences. Unfortunately, however, people across the country see the rule of law abandoned by those in all levels of public service. Many people are only law-abiding because they fear punishment.

So, when theft goes unpunished, more people see it as acceptable. And when theft is okay, threatening violence against anyone who stands in your way follows. When this behavior goes unpunished, more violence follows.

Crime hits close to home —

My friend told me that his wife was working her regular job at a major retail store in Denver this past Friday. While she was working, a group of shoplifters came into the store and began openly grabbing anything they wanted.

No employee or customer verbally or physically confronted any of the criminals. At one point,  one of the criminals ran into my friend's wife and ended up nearly dragging her out of the store as he fled.

Eventually, she broke free and was not physically injured. However, it is impossible to deny the actual psychological effects such an event has on someone. My friend said his wife is tough, but no one wants their loved one to experience that type of incident. Nevertheless, the criminals made off with thousands of dollars worth of merchandise.

But that isn't where the story ends, and this part is equally disturbing.

Unacceptable action —

During the incident, another employee was in fear and called 911 to report what was happening. But, of course, the criminals were long gone before police could arrive on the scene. Once the management found out who called 911, they threatened to terminate the employee from their job. So, it's natural to wonder what the employee did to deserve such a serious reprimand?

The reason given was that the employee took “inappropriate and unacceptable action.”

What is inappropriate about calling 911 during an event like the one described above? The more cynical reader might have guessed the reason. The management said it was improper to call 911 because:

Disclosure would only perpetuate negative racial stereotypes and systemic racism.

So there you have it, folks.

The level of idiocy and ignorance required to make such a statement is not surprising, given it is precisely the sentiment repeated by nearly every prominent public figure.

Good is called evil, and evil good —

How exactly does calling the police to report a crime perpetuate a negative racial stereotype? What is that stereotype while we're on the subject? The person committing a crime is a criminal by definition, regardless of race. The way you end racial stereotypes is by refusing to be so basic that you think people behave a certain way because of the color of their skin. People who aren't racist know everyone is capable of committing a crime.

There is one race that commits every sin, and that's the human race. You realize this when you see people as people, not as ethnic groups.

Anyone who commits a crime deserves to be held accountable and treated justly as our laws require.

At the same time, every victim deserves protection under the law. We all have the right to seek justice regardless of race.

You won't be surprised that the company has a “no guns” policy for patrons and employees. A firearm would have been excessive in this situation but had it become more violent, employees have no other option than to call the police for help. They can't protect themselves against a violent attacker. So, the terminated employee did what they should have. They saw criminal behavior, including the assault of a fellow employee, and called law enforcement for help.

What's the purpose of the post —

I'm not posting this to be a fearmonger. But unfortunately, incidents like this are happening across the country. What this means for you and me is that we need to realize we are our own first responders. If you carry a firearm for self-defense, you need to develop the more violence follows so your actions will be morally and legally appropriate.

We also need to hold on to the truth and stop being silent. We don't need to seek conflict, but we can't abandon the public debate and leave others to suffer the mob's wrath without reaching out to help.

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