We all feel violated when a possession is stolen. As is the case of a Mercer Island teen who had his beloved and hard earned MacBook Pro stolen from inside his backpack, at MIHS and away from the site for 15 minutes. A confluence of many factors led to the opportunity for the criminal minor to steal. Is it a replaceable item, sure, but what concerns me, as a citizen, is the lack of morals in our community of kids who are learning early that crimes pay, going on to steal from others, costing our society more pain and dollars.

If I had the chance to speak to the criminal or those involved in the theft, I would say there are enough bad things happening in society, 3-year-olds killed by guns, soldiers murdering innocent people, people making poor choices with devastating consequences, so I ask: Can’t you just try to be the best person you can? That’s all any of us can do, really, be the best humans possible by demonstrating right from wrong and understanding the pain we inflict on others from our own pain … it saddens me on many levels. I remain hopeful in right action.

Karen Beck