| I was working the over night shift at a little | | | | A correlation can be made between unemployment |
| convenience store in Rockland Maine. The 11pm-7am | | | | and a spike in crime. I for one believe that as a |
| shift sees very few customers with a few | | | | society we must evolve, and do continually from |
| exceptions. The pizza delivery guy gassing up at the | | | | generation to generation. Ideally one would think that |
| end of his shift, the alcoholic trying to get you to sell | | | | it may be possible in some far off distant future that |
| him that last twelve pack and he can't even walk | | | | we could possibly get to a point where crime was |
| straight. That is the first few hours. Then there is a | | | | obsolete. Wishful thinking, but for the sake of |
| lull until around 3 in the morning when the paper | | | | argument I would like to consider this possibility. |
| deliveries start and then the shift changeovers at the | | | | Crime is bad, we have law enforcement to see to it |
| various companies that run all night. | | | | that criminals are dealt with. One would think it would |
| The only regulars during this whole time are the local | | | | be a good thing if crime went away. And yet it |
| police officers, sheriffs, and state police officers. | | | | seems, we cannot live without crime, because it |
| They come in for a cup of coffee, a few scratch off | | | | would seem that it is a vital part of our economy and |
| tickets, tobacco, etc. Usually they stick around for a | | | | our way of life. Criminals see to it that people are |
| bit and make chit chat. One evening I asked a sheriff | | | | kept employed and as long as they are out |
| how his evening was going and he said," It's quiet, | | | | committing crimes than business is good. When a |
| there is absolutely nothing going on". Of course I | | | | person commits a crime, it impacts some one else |
| replied, " That's good isn't it". He said no. He would | | | | negatively. At the same time others are benefiting |
| rather have something to do. Now in my mind I am | | | | from that same crime. "One mans loss is another |
| thinking, in order for you to have something to do | | | | mans gain," so to speak. |
| that means that someone has to be committing | | | | All of this leads me to the conclusion that crime is |
| some sort of crime. This got me thinking...is a crime | | | | fought half heartidly. We want to do a good enough |
| free society not only possible, but desirable. So, I | | | | job to keep it under control, but we do not want to |
| asked him, "Wouldn't it be nice if there was no | | | | eliminate it all together. Not that we could, in reality |
| crime"?; Is that not the ultimate goal of any society. | | | | crime and criminals will always exist. I just find it |
| He didn't seem to like that idea, because then he | | | | interesting that in the end, even if we could eliminate |
| would be out of a job. I can understand that position, | | | | crime, we wouldn't want to. Our society may be able |
| no one wants to be out of work. A point that is | | | | to live without it, but our economy could not. And as |
| ringing loudly in our current economy. | | | | for the criminals of the world, we may want to treat |
| It is a strange thing to think that if a crime free | | | | them with a bit more respect. After all they are |
| society were in our reach, would it actually be a good | | | | doing their best to keep a great many people |
| thing? Think of how many people would be | | | | employed. That is a morbid thought, especially when |
| unemployed. The majority of local, state, and federal | | | | you get into the particularly horrific crimes. The ones |
| law enforcement agencies would no longer be | | | | that inevitably end up tearing a family apart or |
| needed. Each jurisdiction only maintaining a skeleton | | | | scaring a victim for life. I guess in the end its just one |
| crew on the off chance that a crime did occur. The | | | | of those conundrums that we have to live with in |
| idea of it seems counter intuitive, because so many | | | | this world. That in the end even some good can and |
| people out of work...one would think would eventually | | | | does come from a bad thing....even if not for some |
| lead to crime. | | | | but for others. |