Why talk about college students stealing food
In the past two days, my circle of friends was so quarrelsome because of a college graduate Li Moumou.
The facts of the case disclosed to the media by the police earlier showed that Li Moumou, who was preparing for the postgraduate entrance examination, was detained for stealing food for many times in Nanjing. The client’s family was in difficulties. In order to provide for him to go to school, all three sisters had dropped out of school. Some people compare it to Jean Valjean, who was convicted of stealing bread in the famous French book "Les Miserables". He wrote that “college students were arrested for stealing food from hunger is a shame to the entire society.” guilty". Some people even called the Nanjing police specifically, expressing their willingness to pay the financial compensation Li XX needs to bear, hoping that the police would let him go within the scope permitted by law.
Many people mentioned that it was said to be a public case during the Great Depression in the United States in the 1930s. The case is not complicated. An old lady was accused of stealing bread. Facing the judge’s questioning, the old man said: “I need bread to feed my grandson. He hasn’t eaten anything for two days. I can’t watch him. starve."
In this story, which has been circulating for almost a century, according to the law, the old man will face a fine of 10 dollars, or 10 days of detention. Obviously, she did not have the money to pay the fine and could only choose the latter. At this time, New York Mayor LaGuardia stood up in the gallery, took out 10 dollars and bowed to the old lady and said, "Please accept the 10 dollars fine." Then he turned to the judge and the man in the gallery. Everyone said: "Now, please everyone pay another 50 cents fine and donate it to this old man. We must pay for our indifference to punish us living in a city where an old man needs to steal bread to feed his grandchildren. community."
Seeing this story, I can’t help but think of the classic example of a panda by Professor Luo Xiang, a professor at the China University of Political Science and Law: “I haven’t eaten for many days and I am starving to death. Can I see a panda eat it? Of course I can eat it and burn it. It’s okay to eat and roast. This is called emergency avoidance.” A person’s right to life is undoubtedly higher than other property rights.
But is Li Moumou already in a critical situation of food shortage? I'm afraid not. The latest police report confirmed that Li graduated from a university in Hengyang City, Hunan Province in 2018 and went to work in Nanjing in the same year. He currently works in a company in Nanjing with a fixed income and rents in a community in Yuhuatai District. His parents and eldest sister work in farming in their hometown, and the second and third sisters work in Beijing and Hainan respectively. He didn't steal food once or twice. In the two-month period, he himself "can't remember how many times he stole it." The police have a dozen or so times.
According to the investigation and Li Moumou's confession, on May 31 this year, he ordered take-out meals taken away at the gate of the community. He immediately got revenge and took advantage of him. He repeatedly stole other people's take-out meals at the above-mentioned locations.
There are no stories of poor college students stealing food from hunger, but people’s sympathy is real.
In fact, as a highly educated adult in his 20s, he deliberately commits multiple thefts, which cannot be completely thrown out of poverty. I think he probably had a fluke mentality-just a takeaway, not a lot of money, he had a full meal, and the person who was stolen would probably not scold Juniang deeply. After one time, without being caught, there was a second time, a third time...the Nth time. He himself said: "It has become a habit to think that stealing food is not investigated."
Not only him, most of the public can't imagine that stealing a few takeaways will be criminally detained by the police, or even sentenced. The policeman handling the case deliberately mentioned Li Moumou’s family situation and the future affected during the interview. On the one hand, he regretted his “self-destructive future”, and on the other hand, I am afraid that he also wanted to conduct a profound education on the law to the public. ——Although the value of the case is not high, only tens of dollars each time, Li's behavior has constituted multiple thefts. The police detained him in accordance with the law.
From a legal perspective, the police's decision is beyond reproach. According to China’s Criminal Law and relevant judicial interpretations, anyone who steals public or private property in a relatively large amount, or multiple thefts, thefts into the house, theft with a weapon, or pickpocketing shall be sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment of not more than three years, criminal detention or surveillance, and concurrently or only a fine . If theft is more than three times within two years, it shall be deemed as "multiple theft".
Nearly 10 similar cases disclosed by the China Judgment Document Network showed that there were multiple thefts of takeaways. Although the amount involved was not large, the defendants were all found guilty of theft. Except for a fine for one person, most of the defendants were sentenced to months ranging from several months. Detention.
For Li Moumou, it is understandable that public opinion has given a certain amount of sympathy. After all, many people have come all the way from the difficult student days, and it is indeed a pity that Li Moumou’s “prospect is shelved”. But when such a thing happens, we cannot blame society blindly. Stealing is wrong in itself and cannot return to the thinking pattern of "who is weak is justified".
If you say this, wouldn’t the little brother who was stolen take out more miserable? He originally earned hard money, but he has already been “photographed and delivered”. Lost takeaway will inevitably be compensated or fined, and other orders may be delayed, as well as a day’s bonus. Soaked in the soup. And the person who orders the takeout, maybe his life is not rich, he gritted his teeth and spent a few dollars to eat a good meal, waited and waited for his own meal, waited for a few hours , Maybe I'm full of gas, and it's not easy to consider the takeaway brother when making a claim.
If you violate the law, you must pay the corresponding price. Sympathy belongs to sympathy, and the law belongs to the law. You cannot use “unfairness” as a reason to ask for “unfairness”. Don't try to kidnap justice by public opinion at every turn-or the facts are unclear. under. At present, the public security organs have changed Li XX as a criminal compulsory measure for bail pending trial in accordance with the law, and there is no change in the qualitative nature of the case. Laws must be followed, and law enforcement must be strict. This hole cannot be opened for anyone. Today is the privilege for college students who steal food, and why will their identity be loosened tomorrow? Law is not law, and society has no fairness and justice at all.
What's more, many of us have classmates and friends who are really not well off at home. No matter how embarrassing life is, we still hold the bottom line of not stealing or grabbing, and we are self-reliant and live upright. One of my classmates almost only relied on the steamed buns in the cafeteria and the sauce in the canteen to fill his stomach during the four years of university. Now he graduated from graduate school and joined the state-owned bank. This kind of struggle is more worthy of our attention, and the running of the takeaway boy is more worthy of our admiration.
If we want to make the world we live in better, we might as well pay attention to the hardships of these young people's growth. Of course, Li deserves attention, but when we talk about him, we are not trying to justify his illegal behavior, but to appeal for more young people to have a fair fighting environment. "China Youth Daily" previously reported that young people who drive taxis, deliver food and serve as hawkers due to work stoppages during the epidemic include office white-collar workers and entrepreneurial elites. They use honest work to support their families, repay loans and pay their employees. They eat on their own.
Source of Liu Yan: China Youth Daily