" First rule of shopping: If you can't afford it, you can't have it. Where is the trick question here? THOU SHALT NOT STEAL. That cannot be rationalized to make it right to take something that doesn't belong to you. I can understand stealing food if you are hungry or if your children are hungry, but even then there are food banks, but to steal something you will eventually sell is just wrong on so many levels. Where to thieves get their moral values? "

" They should have gone down to Wal-Mart and stole from there. They can afford it. The owners are billionaires. Just don't steal from me or the mom and pops stores. "

" Hey Fortethetank: You appear to have a computer and internet connection. That makes you richer than someone else. So it must be OK to steel from you. Just because someone has more than the next guy does not make justify theft. Having less than someone else does not give anyone the right to steel. I had someone get into my car and steel and old digital camera over the Thanksgiving break. The camera was an old, outdated piece of equipment that I kept in the car for emergencies (like catching someone steeling). It had no cash value at all, but was useful to me. I can easily replace the camera, but having it stolen is still a violation. "

" Last night I was shopping at Ross Department Store in Napa when a young adult male was confronted by a clerk after a door alarm went off. She searched his shopping bag and when he left, the alarm went off again. He walked off into the parking lot without looking back. She should have taken his bag and independently run it through the alarm trigger. I suspect the guy had stolen goods underneath his clothes. I'll bet he has committed this petty theft at least twenty times before. The clerks are only willing to carry it just so far and I can hardly blame them for not wanting to search someone. It's probably illegal as well. On the other hand, store clerks could have taken the time and narrowed down the source of the alarm trigger. Here lies the problem. Thieves begin their criminal activity with petty theft and once they reach a comfort level with it, they graduate onto bigger and bigger thefts. There are few consequences. Petty theft is an entry level job for future criminals. If we could catch young people in the act at this stage, it might deter them from graduating to higher levels of criminal activity. It seems to me that store clerks typically turn a blind eye to these types of activities. Such indifference today is a major reason why we have such a high degree of "in your face" criminal activity. What good is a store alarm if the activity it was set up to deter cannot be enforced? "

" fortethetank,are you saying its ok to break the law if you dont get caught?Your parents must be proud to have raised a child with such great morals.Stealing is stealing,from wal mart,mom and pops,from you.enjoy your sad life. "

" Hmmmmm... (deep thought, look of concentration on my face, hand rubbing my chin). All Hispanic names, wonder if there's some sort of pattern here... "