News Story

In the past couple of years (let's say 3) I have grown considerably more cynical and, as a result, more extreme in my views on society (if you want to politicize it you can say more conservative).  And it is all because of stories like this one:

http://shine.yahoo.com/work-money/flash-mob-robbers-steal-3-000-chicago-store-201300319.html


Now, I know I shouldn't read this kind of stuff because, frankly, it's unhealthy for me, it truly is.  I read the title,"Flash Mob Robbers Steal $3,000 from Chicago Store. What Happened to Happy Dancing?" innocently enough as I peruse yahoo to get my daily news fix. I find myself compelled to read it totally aware that the only outcome will be a higher blood pressure and a fire in the pit of my stomach.  I read the opening paragraphs and feel an anger starting to spark in my stomach. 

The spark kindles into a small fire as I read, "They just look like regular shoppers -- until you notice that several of them are slipping off their backpacks and stuffing clothing into them."  I can see the kids frantically grabbing at $200 dollar jeans, trying to steal as many as their backpacks can hold.  Not thinking, "this is wrong," not thinking "what will my parent think?" just thinking, "more, more, more." 

The fire erupts into a full on blaze when I see "They completely overwhelmed us. I went to lock the door and there were a dozen more waiting to come in," Cho told NBC 5. "They basically pushed us aside," he added. "We were standing by the door. My staff got cuts and bruises and banged around until [the thieves] unlocked the door and got out."  I want these kids dead, I think to myself.  I want them caught, lined up, and shot.  The way you see rebels lined up in movies about civil wars in far off countries.

The fire spreads through my body as I sit and think, the majority of these kids will never be caught.  They will never learn what they did was wrong, will never feel remorse.  This will become a joke, they are sitting in someones basement or in a park laughing and toasting to having successfully stolen from some poor bastard.  Now, I'm not totally without reason, had this been food, or people found squatting in an abandoned or condemned building fine.  Times are tough.  But the fact that these kids stole JEANS, and went THROUGH the store clerks to do it.  I want them beaten, grabbed by the neck, thrown against a wall and beaten. I don't care about justice, it's overrated, I don't even want them to see the error of their ways, most never will, I want them to remember the price you pay for thinking you are smarter and better and deserve more when you are not and you don't.  I want them too see that that price is far more than $200 per pair of jeans.  Like I said, unhealthy.