Dante suggested that there is probable difficult terrain ahead for those who are less than stellar in their participation in the living world. He espoused several "circles" in hell. A Penguin Bool review describes them in some brevity and they need not be repeated. There is some humor there, but it is a workable overview.
The character traits that present dangers of such an eternity include Limbo, Lust, Gluttony, Greed, Anger, Heresy, Violence, Fraud, and Treachery. An intriguing list that some see as all-inclusive and others see as a good start. Each is tied to an eternal punishment, and thus there are supposedly after-life consequences to poor behavior.
The book review says such may include things like "You’ll have television, but all of the channels will be set to CSPAN," or being surrounded by "supposed 'IRS agents' who insist on being paid in iTunes cards," or "Washington, DC in February." Like I said, there is some humor. History Defined provides a more classic discussion of the nine circles.
Some who read Dante were thereafter taken with vague references to the "circles" thereafter. Many a criticism has begun over time with the wish that "there is a special circle for people that _________." I found myself on that page this week.
The national news came alive with the story of a misguided youth who decided that his wants and needs justify theft, (greed, violence, treachery). He decided to steal and thought the best victims would be some young Girl Scouts selling cookies in Fort Worth, according to 5NBCDFW. Hint for miscreants, jurors like young kids doing good and may not like big kids stealing from them.
There is a manhunt on for the young man accused of "grabbing a bag from behind the table before sprinting into the parking lot." He planned the hit well and made a clean escape. Kudos perhaps for the careful preparation. Shockingly, it turns out that the retailer or landlord there in Fort Worth had a couple of surveillance cameras and this young man is now a national celebrity. See Orwellian Store Security (August 2022).
Who knocks over a cookie stand?
That said, there is a challenge in anyone that turns to thievery as a path to sustenance. It is difficult to understand in a world that offers great opportunities and a variety of safety nets. The national news just featured the amazing expansion of "campus food pantry" efforts to feed college students, 800 of them (pantries, not students). Anyone who got through college without discovering 100 ways to tolerate macaroni and cheese from a box, or the wonders of peanut butter as an entree, well kudos to you. But, the fact is that there is help everywhere. Society is doing great things, providing great opportunities through scouting and similar.
Why people resort to theft and violence is troubling. This exists in the world around us though, and it seems to be increasing. Let me check Google. Thanks for pausing with me while I looked that up. The answer, according to the Marshall Project is clear. Violent crime is "up and also down." I like clarity in many things, but the "it depends" analysis makes for interesting reading.
That report explains its equivocacy with "Property crime and violence against young people are both up, recent federal data shows, but other crime trends are murkier." That is interesting in the draw. It made me want to pause to read the whole article, but I did not want to leave you waiting here for too long. The point crime is increasingly "against young people." That is troubling in a number of ways.
First, young people today, well anytime, are not as financially resilient. There are generally less resources and less favorable paths to recovery. Second, whether you like it or not, those young people are your future. As they succeed or fail, so goes society. You know, the society you expect to care for you in your golden years?
There is little doubt that the young cookie sprinter in DFW will be brought to heel. There is a clear still from the surveillance that is making the rounds on social media. Someone is going to rat out this misguided youth. Good advice, if he is reading this, turn yourself in and make it easy on yourself. A good bit of remorse and sincere contrition can go a long way in the American courts. As some cynics will note, perhaps he will not do so, and the intrepid system will have to hunt him down. Yes, the local police will not just do a report and drop this like they do most property crimes. They may actually investigate and make an arrest (after all, people are watching).
The DFW dasher is not alone. If you take a moment with the web, it turns out that knocking over Girl Scouts is a thing. In 2023 a Troop Treasurer was arrested. There was an alleged 2023 snatch-and-grab in front of a retailer. It happened in 2022 in Houston. There was the Great Minnesota Heist of 2021. There was another one in Kentucky in 2020; and a counterfeitor was also accused in 2020 in Oregon. Some may see a pattern developing. In each instance, there is some individual responsible for taking what belongs to others.
The other pattern that seems to become an American norm is that such incidents are prone to generate great outpourings of both sympathy and dollars. In the end of this story, funds will likely be replenished. In the end, the girls robbed here will not suffer. They will learn some hard lesson from the miscreant, but will likely see a great outpouring that reinforces some great societal attributes. Hopefully, none of the instances end in more serious consequences, such as injury or worse. But, it returns me to the original premise. Is there a special circle in hell for those who would rob children?
If so, what would it look like? Perhaps those who find themselves in such circumstances will be surrounded by the colorful boxes of Thin Mints, Samoas, and Raspberry Rallies. Perhaps they will even enjoy the smell. But each box they open will be empty, a tribute to the vacant character of those who steal from children. Too harsh? Well, perhaps they will be surrounded by ample supplies of such cookies and yet not a drop of milk will be found? Or, maybe all the boxes are empty except the S'mores? Ouch, sorry if that cookie appeals to you.
Yes, this blog is still about workers' compensation and the law. I can hear Statler and Waldorf in the balcony. The point in the big picture is that stealing is troublesome. It need not be grand theft, and need not make the national news. Theft is theft. It impacts everyone. The miscreants who shoplift toothpaste make life hard for others as stores lock up shelves. They make life even harder as stores abandon neighborhoods because the economics simply do not work. Pundits and prognosticators make vapid statements about store closures, but the bottom line is that no one closes a profitable store (or stops eating Thin Mint cookies).
Make no mistake, the prevalence of waste, fraud, and abuse adds to the cost of everything. Those who would supply a market will make economic choices. If the Girl Scouts are no longer outside your local grocer, perhaps there is a reason? Are we willing to forego the cookies, or shall we make our communities safe?
In that vein, some believe that there is $34 billion in annual workers' compensation fraud. The cost of that is being borne by those who do pay premiums. The cost of that is being borne by the genuinely injured who face cynicism, delay, and doubt in their quest for valid and necessary care, treatment, and sustenance. Those who are responsible for waste, fraud, and abuse color the market for all who work, pay premiums and rely on this safety net.
Are those who cheat this safety net, who deprive others through their actions, any better than the young man who stole the cookie money?
