Hands off

Unfortunately it happens everyday.  People of all ages, of all races. They steal. 

I'm guilty of it.  I'll take a pen or notepad from work and use it for personal business. I'll even admit to occasionally taking an envelope from the office if I need one but don't have time to run to Wal-Mart.

Then there are people like Reginald Gaines.  The 19-year old is accused of breaking into over 30 homes in the metro and taking other people's property and I'm not talking about notepads and envelopes.  He's (allegedly) taking computers and big screen TVs... expensive stuff!  Stuff that people worked really hard for and saved up money for and within seconds - it's gone!

I'll never understand this. I don't understand how somebody can live with themselves after raiding somebody's personal belongings.  Most of us were taught that if we wanted something we had to work for the money to buy it.  There's a sense of satisfaction after I save up enough money for a new TV or an I-pod or cell phone and finally purchase it with my hard-earned money.

Thankfully, knock on wood, I've never been the victim of theft. I can only imagine what it's like to have something you've longed for taken by some lazy menace to society who feels its okay to take what others have.

Rusty Surette  rusty.surette@news9.net