Shoplifting - Does Anyone Care?

Statistics show that Shoplifting is something that many people have done, and whist it will not be something they are proud of most of the time it will have been when they were young and the item will be of very low value. There may be signs in all shops that say shoplifters will be prosecuted, often this does not happen.

During a recent conversation with a 16 year old friend of the family it became apparent to me that whilst this person would not 'steal' physical goods and in fact had a good moral standing, they thought that shoplifting more akin to a sport than a crime and was OK to do occasionally … and interestingly because 'big business doesn't get youth' that downloading pirated movies and games was OK too …. After all 'everyone is doing it'

This got me thinking about this selective good behaviour, choosing what is right and what is wrong actually runs right throughout the fabric of our free society – surely something is either right or it is wrong … can there can't ever be a grey area in these things???

 …but  as we all arrive home, having broken the speed limit on the way, drinking our Starbucks, many of us  calling loved ones without a hands free kit to say 'home in 10' … then can really be so surprised by the selective compliance to the law of others, the actions of those who shoplift from our stores or download the latest movie from the web? .. After all my 16 year old would never dream of speeding (someone at his school was killed in a car accident) and certainly would never dial without hands free .. he is after all 'totally Bluetooth connected'