Do you agree with Donald Trump that shoplifters should be shot?
By The Horse
@TheHorse (226279)
Walnut Creek, California
September 29, 2023 9:17pm CST
This is a tough one for me. I am tired of shoplifters literally filling up garbage bags with free merchandise and expecting to get away with it.
Stores like Walgreens and Target (American chains) are closing their doors all around the US because of shoplifters.
Clearly our laws are too lax.
But should our police be required to shoot these people?
At a purely visceral level, my response is "yes." People should not be able to repeatedly steal from, car-jack, mug, and beat up innocent civilians with impunity.
When it comes to law and order, I tend to vote Conservative.
But then my frontal cortex kicks in.
Does Donald Trump have a clear plan for what caliber weapons should be used to shoot shoplifters? And does he have a plan for where (in their bodies) shoplifters should be shot?
I think not.
Further, if the police shoot shoplifters, even in a controlled fashion, emergency rooms are going to be overcrowded, delaying treatment for non-criminals. And jails and prisons are going to be further overcrowded as well.
Our infrastructure is simply not ready for this kind of policy. Has Trump dealt with this?
If we are going to shoot shoplifters, I advocate for shooting them in the buttocks. As I tell my child clients, "If you have to fall while hiking, fall on your butt. God made our butts squishy for a reason. You won't get hurt."
I also advocate that police shooting shoplifters should use smaller caliber weapons, like a .22. There might be some damaged hip bones, but there would be few fatalities.
What are your thoughts on shooting shoplifters and other criminals? Do you agree with my contention that Trump needs to think through his strategy more thoroughly before using it as a political tool (much less before implementation)?
Often things are not as simple as they seem.
Former President Trump suggested shooting shoplifters in cities with a breakdown of law and order if he is re-elected president.
21 people like this
17 responses
@JudyEv (352842)
• Rockingham, Australia
30 Sep 23
Self checkouts have been installed in more and more of our supermarkets but it has resulted in more shop-lifting too. Now sometimes, there is a barrier and you need to show your receipt before you can leave the store. We haven't resorted to shooting shop-lifters yet or even talking about it. lol
5 people like this
@kaylachan (77488)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
30 Sep 23
I think we live in a society that's to trigger happy. While I don't know if shooting shop lifters is a good idea (unless they're armed), that likely would result in a shoot out, anyway. However, what I hate, is stores have policies in place that allow the shop lifters to literally walk away.
George and I were in our local ace, for the third time in three days, and while my husband was doing an exchange for the second smoke alarm in twenty-four hours.... we witnessed someone literally walk in and out of the store and shop lift. And.... the staff could only exercises their frustration about being told to just let it happen. Because the person could be armed. Because of such lax loci's, shoplifters know they can do so... and nine times out of ten, it won't result in anything. Not even a call to the police. Because the cops would be like.... why bother? By the time they got to the store, took a statement, the criminals would be long gone.
Our laws don't have any real consequences. And shop lifting MIGHT get you jail time, but it would have to be like grand theft or something.
3 people like this
@kaylachan (77488)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
30 Sep 23
@TheHorse I live in Florida. I don't think the cops could care less.
2 people like this
@TheHorse (226279)
• Walnut Creek, California
30 Sep 23
@kaylachan What are their greatest concerns?
I agree. But (to quote Winston Churchill) "tomorrow I will be sober." 
@moffittjc (124240)
• Gainesville, Florida
30 Sep 23
I am one of those "tough on crime" type of people, but I'm also not heartless. I think all crimes should have a 3-strikes-and-your're-out policy. That gives criminals a fair chance to try and stop their behavior. If after the third time committing a crime, they should be taken out back and shot. And not in the butt....
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (124240)
• Gainesville, Florida
30 Sep 23
@TheHorse Well, it depends on if they are shot in the left butt cheek or the right butt cheek! LOL
1 person likes this
@TheHorse (226279)
• Walnut Creek, California
1 Oct 23
@moffittjc Balance is good.
1 person likes this
@RubyHawk (99397)
• Atlanta, Georgia
30 Sep 23
Absolutely not. Stores should put up more cameras and hire more people to watch for for shoplifters. They can afford it.I don’t know if there is much shoplifting. You have to show your merchandise and your receipt before you go out the door.
1 person likes this
@porwest (99738)
• United States
4 Oct 23
lol. I am inclined to believe that we have reached a time when the "time should meet the crime" no longer is appropriate. I think the time should be more of a deterrent, especially when we are dealing with a crime such as this which has gotten way out of control. As you said, "the law is too lax," and that's the biggest part of the problem. There's no consequence or fear of consequence for any of these crimes, and so there's nothing stopping them from doing them. Beyond that, prosecutors are too lax as well in actually prosecuting these cases.
It's like I said long ago regarding littering or parking in handicap spaces. If the fines are only $250 to park in disabled parking or $500 for littering who gives a flying flip? Make the fines $10,000 and no one will DARE break these laws.
Laws don't prevent crime. Even sometimes penalties don't DETER crime (murder as an example). BUT there are certain crimes that CAN be prevented at least to some extent with some sort of "larger than life" penalty. If you said shoplifting carries restitution, in addition to a fine of no less than $10,000 AND a minimum 5 years in prison?
I bet many more would think twice about doing it. You'd not stop them all. But you'd stop a good many of them.
Granted, I am not sure what the constitutionality of these types of penalties would be, but surely something HAS to be done because it's costing all of us and especially these businesses and all of the people who earn a living from them.
1 person likes this
@TheHorse (226279)
• Walnut Creek, California
4 Oct 23
No real disagreements from me here. But many of these shoplifters don't have much in the way of assets (except what they've stolen in the past or are holding from their boyfriends, who already have convictions for armed robbery).
1 person likes this
@porwest (99738)
• United States
4 Oct 23
@TheHorse Lack of assets has never been a reason someone can't be sued for money they don't have, and likewise it has never been a reason to reduce a fine. And besides, failure to pay a fine also often can be replaced with jail time instead.
It's a mess though. The whole thing. How we actually fix it is obviously up for debate.
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (163407)
• United States
30 Sep 23
I think your analysis is pretty good, but I always heard that if you are going to shoot someone you should shoot to kill, not to wound. I do not shoot anyway. Yes, professional criminals and thieves make me angry. They cause a lot of problems. The entire idea of looting and pillaging is beyond me. I do not really think shooting will solve it or prevent it.
1 person likes this
@BarBaraPrz (49573)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
30 Sep 23
Rump should think, period.
Also, I think Spidey should be made to give up his web formula to the police and they can use that on shoplifters... get them before they leave the store.
1 person likes this
@much2say (57521)
• Los Angeles, California
30 Sep 23
The grab and go shoplifting tactic is completely out of hand . . . it is crazy how far this has escalated. These people simply do not feel threatened . . . they know their chances in getting away with it are pretty high - that's not a good thing. Get 'em in the buttocks - fine with me. But too bad they didn't get the quick swift in the buttocks earlier in their lives so they wouldn't even get to this point.
1 person likes this
@RasmaSandra (84733)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
30 Sep 23
Nope, I don't think shoplifters should be shot but I think they should not be allowed to shop ever again but there is no way to control something like that,
1 person likes this
@TheHorse (226279)
• Walnut Creek, California
1 Oct 23
@RasmaSandra Should we both write our congresspersons?
1 person likes this
@Deepizzaguy (109462)
• Lake Charles, Louisiana
30 Sep 23
It is a tough call if I were a police officer and I had to shoot a shoplifter. It would be in self defense if the shoplifter attempted to harm me.
1 person likes this
@TheHorse (226279)
• Walnut Creek, California
30 Sep 23
@Deepizzaguy But they're really bold about how much they take.
1 person likes this
@Deepizzaguy (109462)
• Lake Charles, Louisiana
30 Sep 23
@TheHorse That is true.
1 person likes this
@LindaOHio (188220)
• United States
30 Sep 23
If they don't halt when told to, the police can shoot. There is no excuse for looting and shoplifting. I'm sick of it. Have a great weekend.
1 person likes this
@TheHorse (226279)
• Walnut Creek, California
30 Sep 23
@LindaOHio I don't see why not.
1 person likes this
@LindaOHio (188220)
• United States
30 Sep 23
@TheHorse Darn it. Can they tase the person?
1 person likes this
@JESSY3236 (20482)
• United States
10 Oct 23
I don't think they should because like you said it be overflow of people needing doctors.
