Today while driving home from Menominee, I saw a yard with a large yellow sign depicting a moose (or elk). Below it said 'Night Danger', and below that, the same thing in French. (I have since forgot the French.)
Obviously the last time those folks went to Canada they stole themselves a souvenir. And they were so unashamed of the theft that they set the stolen sign out in the yard for all to see.
This moral problem is not just a concern for the US. In Libya, one of the rioters/rebels stole dictator Gaddafi's hat. Instead of hiding the stolen hat away, the thief decided it was a cool fashion statement and called in the international media.
Now, Gaddafi is an evil murdering dictator who deserves to be executed, brought back to life, and executed again. But that doesn't make it OK to steal his hat! 'Thou shalt not steal' is not just a good idea, it's the law.
Writing prompt: Tomorrow morning the whole human race wakes up believing that 'thou shalt not steal' is no longer a moral absolute but a vague suggestion. Write a story that shows some of the consequences. Extra credit if the story includes a talking frog wearing a fez.
2 comments:
In my youth I lived just four or five blocks away from a rather large cemetery. One of my friend's had an older brother, who for the most part wasn't a bad kid. But kids do stupid, disrespectful things sometimes. When their parents were out of town, the older brother and several friends stole a headstone and put it in their backyard--to show people. It was a rebellious act, a plea for attention. Which of course he got, because getting the stone back to the cemetery without getting caught proved impossible, and they were all discovered.
Point is, people steal things for lots of reasons, but it almost never ends well.
Great post. Super writing promp. I'm a sucker for frogs in hats. ;)
That reminds me that I nearly stole a rubberband (is rubber band one or two words?) at my sister's house. We don't get the paper. They do. So they have lots. There was a pile of rubber bands and I could really use some and nobody else was in the kitchen, but I didn't take one though it is "only a rubber band" or "rubberband" (as the case may be) and not a dictator's hat or even a Canadian Moose sign.
I made a mental note to ask if I could have one, when somebody came back into the room, but the thought popped right out of my head.
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