My wife (Dee) is 100% Thai and believes that she knows almost everything about Thailand. She doesn’t of course but that is a totally different story. Anyway, since I’m a 100% American, Dee thinks I should be able to answer any questions about America, which of course I cannot do. She will often send me a news clip from my home country and ask me if it is true or not. Below is Dee’s latest question. Now how in the hell do I answer this one?
The short and honest answer to the question is yes, it is true. It sounds like a social experiment (reducing the penalty of minor theft) gone wrong. Apparently, it is now trendy to roll up to Walgreens, shoplift the necessities of life and walk out of the store. However, there is one caveat. A person really needs to keep the stealing spree under $950 each time, after all; there has to be some limits in life.
The law was passed in 2014 and legally, shoplifting is still punishable by fine or jail time but most perpetrators are not being prosecuted. Why was the law originally passed? Best I can figure out is the voters were trying to give a poor person a break. Maybe so, but I’ve been poor and never once thought of stealing lip gloss from Walgreens to get by.
About a week from now, I will turn 66-years of age. Now just because I’m getting older does not make me smarter as many of my family and friends can attest too. But throughout the decades, I have collected a few observations about America.
Trends will often start in California and then spread from there. The main problem is that a few folks from the Golden State are nuts, they just are and I don’t know why. Sometimes progressive thinking leads to a regressive environment.
One political party will say that it is partly cloudy and another bunch will say that it is partly sunny. Then both parties will spend taxpayer’s money arguing about who is right and who is wrong. And most people don't even both to look outside and see for themselves.
Apparently, a C- or below grade average for America is now perfectly acceptable and actually hoped for. If I brought home a 70% grade from school, my father would have asked rather harshly “You barely passed, is this the best you can do?” Get your vaccinations people!
As many of you know I’m collecting photographs of Thai people wearing a t-shirt from all of the 50 states and so far, I’m at 38. Look at the photo above and see how many states are represented. I see three.
Just out of curiosity, how many Americans have you seen wearing a Thailand t-shirt? Probably not many. Like it or not, many other countries mimic, adopt, copy or steal what America does. And much like what was written on my report grade every year; there is room for improvement…