Mindless actions

Two unrelated but equally unfortunate incidents have occurred to people close to my wife and I. Two nights ago my daughter’s car was broken into. The thieves obviously thought there was an ipod in the car. There was a cable used to attach the ipod to the car’s speaker system dangling from the radio. That was all – just a USB cable – maybe $5 worth. But no, they smashed a window and took the cable. I just don’t know what to think. The repairs, using a window from a wrecker’s yard will cost $70 plus my son-in-law’s time.

The second incident, the following morning, was rather more serious. A woman, from East Timor, who my wife has been helping, had her handbag snatched from her shoulder, in a shopping centre, by three youths. Because of her traumatic experiences in East Timor this woman suffers from panic attacks (which for those who suffer them are the worst experiences imaginable). The woman had some hundreds of dollars in her bag (part of the Federal Government’s handout to stimulate the economy) to buy Christmas presents and food.

Justice was served in a fashion, in that the youths, when running away from this woman did not have enough time to properly search her bag, took $200 which was right on top, and then ran straight into the arms of a security guard who was having a smoke outside. Two were caught but the third got such a fright that he threw the bag away with such force that it smashed the window of a car setting off the alarm. That third youth got away with the $200. They are either close friends or brothers so he will eventually be caught – though the woman will never get the money back.
This woman is a very gentle, timorous little thing; speaks only Portuguese (which is how she met my wife who translates for her and generally helps out) and is married with three children. Unfortunately the youngest, a little boy of just three years old witnessed the entire affair. He obviously was shocked and started crying, which did not help his mother’s panic attack, and is himself now traumatised and will not leave his mother’s side.

The youths involved are from a disadvantaged minority. Their parents would most certainly also have received the Federal Government’s handout. But no, greed and possibly a desire for drugs or other substance abuse would have prompted their actions. If they were not already known to the police, they certainly will be now, which stuffs up their future. The spin off from such events just keep rolling on – you can never see the end – I suppose there is no ‘end’. The whole of society will be affected in some way.

And now something else has happened since I started writing this piece - a third thing - my home delivered newspaper has been pinched!! I only get one delivery a week – the Weekend Australian. My wife and I like to read it with our breakfast on Saturday mornings. I phoned the delivery man and he assured me that he delivered it quite early on this morning. Well it has gone, which is irritating but not serious.
All these events are so unnecessary. They do not bring peace and goodwill to anyone. In Australia there is no need for anyone to starve or be without shelter, unless it is by choice because the alternative is too unpleasant to contemplate – continuing violence and abuse, for instance. But there are still (relatively) generous social security payments available to help those who find themselves in difficulty – so there is no NEED to steal.

I can understand how the victims feel (my newspaper is nothing) but the perpetrators have diminished themselves as human beings; they will not have peace of mind – which is what we are all ultimately striving for. They think they have gained something but really they have lost more. This is sad and as I said before, all of us, all Society is diminished by such actions.