Guest post by Nicholas Brookland, author of No Rest for the Weary
If a certain individual has exhausted all possible means of obtaining food (this could also apply to medical equipment, shoes, tools etc) and is in desperate need of food, without which they will die, is it okay to steal the food to survive?
Or is it only frowned upon ethically and morally if the food were stolen from an equally hungry person?
Is it okay to steal food from a hungry man for a more needy woman or child? Sure, the problems that lead to such a situation need to be addressed first but for the people who are actually in the situation of ‘eat or die’ – solving the bigger issues isn’t an option and certainly not a priority.
Under what circumstances do people think stealing is ‘okay’? Is the Robin Hood scenario to be viewed with disdain when so much bureaucratic gridlock and form filling can literally delay food relief parcels by months, weeks and ever-crucial days.
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Books by Nicholas Brookland
No Rest for the Weary ~ View on Bookshelves | View on Amazon
Nicholas, I have contemplated this same issue in the past. It is a relevant question and i’m sure many judges have been faced with this issue in their court rooms when individuals get hauled before them to face the consequences for their actions. I personally believe our system is too focused on punishment instead of pushing our resources to fixing the issues that are actually causing these things to transpire. The problems are vast and the answers are covered up by those that don’t want them to be shown. To show the answers is to change the way the world works. Altruism is the answer to these issues. Yet currently it is near impossible to get these issues reviewed properly let alone say the word “Altruism” around those that are controlling things…that word is their enemy…it means no profits and it means sharing…it means equality of life for all…yet this is not allowed right now as the rich and ugly are murdering and killing any who dare to stand in their path of control…the future awaits our changes though…be assured…they will transpire in their day of light…it is inevitable…
I remember when I was a child in rural Ireland almost seventy years ago I was told it was not against the law for a man to take a bucket and dig out potatos from a farmer’s field for his starving children. It warmed my heart then. It still does.