george@houxc.UUCP (07/28/83)
In following the recent rash of articles about car theft at BTL locations in "btl.general" I have noticed a common comment which I find rather disturbing. The comment is of the form "...you got what you deserved for not locking your car..." or "..well, you didn't lock your car and so got what you asked for...". I don't understand this tendency to blame the theft on the person from whom the property was stolen. Just because someone left a purse on the front seat or didn't lock the car doors does not make that person the one to blame for the theft. I have seen many cars open and many items of value left exposed in cars, but I didn't steal them. Something is fundamentally wrong when the victim of a crime is made responsible for its occurrence. Is it wrong to steal or isn't it? Does my leaving my car open make it OK for someone to steal it? Is it my fault if it does get stolen?? Is there something wrong with my train of thought? george hess, houxc!george
alw@houxo.UUCP (08/04/83)
George wrote:
In following the recent rash of articles about car theft at BTL
locations in "btl.general" I have noticed a common comment which
I find rather disturbing. The comment is of the form "... you
got what you deserved for not locking your car ..."
... Is there something wrong with my train of thought?
I respond:
Of course! The person who stole the car owner's possessions is guilty of
theft. The car owner who left his car unlocked, windows open, etc. is
guilty of *negligence* or perhaps *carelessness.* Common sense dictates
that when an obvious threat to security or safety exists, one take reason-
able precautions to prevent the threat from becoming reality. If you
don't take *reasonable* precautions to protect your possessions or loved
ones, how can you expect the police or any else to take exceptional steps
to prevent your loss? You've got to look out for yourself--don't expect
someone else to do it. Your type of thinking taken to the extreme yields
the following kind of mental process: "I'm going to cross the street even
though that speeding taxi doesn't look like he's going to stop. I've got
the green light and if he hits me that's his problem." Believe me, there
are people who think that way. *You* are responsible for your own well
being. Look out for yourself and your loved ones and property.
Now, please, I didn't say, "Look out for number one and to h-ll with every-
one else." I love to help my neighbors.
Alan (the survivor) Wiemann, American Bell, Holmdel NJwest@sdcsla.UUCP (08/09/83)
Alan Wiemann responded (to George Hess): Of course! The person who stole the car owner's possessions is guilty of theft. The car owner who left his car unlocked, windows open, etc. is guilty of *negligence* or perhaps *carelessness.* Common sense dictates that when an obvious threat to security or safety exists, one take reason- able precautions to prevent the threat from becoming reality. If you don't take *reasonable* precautions to protect your possessions or loved ones, how can you expect the police or any else to take exceptional steps to prevent your loss? You've got to look out for yourself--don't expect someone else to do it. Your type of thinking taken to the extreme yields the following kind of mental process: "I'm going to cross the street even though that speeding taxi doesn't look like he's going to stop. I've got the green light and if he hits me that's his problem." Believe me, there are people who think that way. *You* are responsible for your own well being. Look out for yourself and your loved ones and property. I respond to Alan: Taken to the extreme, your viewpoint leads to the following kind of mental process: "well, anyone who gets killed or robbed or raped obviously didn't take *reasonable* precautions, so they deserve what they got." Believe me, there are people (and EST-holes) who think that way. Needless to say, we ARE all responsible for our own well being(s). But that should not be taken to the extreme of blaming the victim. People tend to learn from their mistakes and don't need to be told that they were stupid. A little sympathy is not necessarily an evil thing. In the end, the differences of viewpoint here seem to be between those who see the world "as it could be" and wonder at "how it is", and those who see the world "as it is" and deride those who see it "as it could be". -- Larry West, UC San Diego -- sdcsvax!sdcsla!west