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In reply to the discussion: Is it a crime to steal bread if you have no money for food? [View all]Skip Intro
(19,768 posts)And help can be found elsewhere.
If it were a matter of sustenance and survival, though, if the person would suffer or die without stealing the bread, then clearly the value of his/her life outweighs the unethical dimension of stealing.
But there are other alternatives. There is the food stamp program, and it does have emergency provisions to generate immediate help. There is the Salvation Army. There are churches covering the nation that offer food for the hungry.
If someone is unaware of those avenues, and does steal, it would almost seem a good thing for them to be caught so that the authorities could inform them of the options available to them.
I don't think charges should be pressed against anyone stealing a loaf of bread in order to survive.
But yes, it is illegal and it is a crime.