The point is you don't need to steal food to survive. You just need to go to one of food banks or shelters that will help. I volunteer at one of them. Lots of really good down on their luck people; and they are busier that in the past due to COVID job losses.

Those stealing are ones with something to prove. We recently had a situation here at the Giant where two adults were stealing ice cream and when the staff tried to stop them they were seriously beat up. When has ice cream become a necessity to survive and something worth beating another human over?

The issue we have lost our moral compass in this country and it will not solve itself.