When I was growing up, the adults in my life warned me about making excuses. Politicians today, however, seem to have no problem justifying theft, especially when the victims appear to be billion-dollar corporations.
While their justifications appear compassionate, the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) are merely setting the stage for anarchy through the abolition of police and prisons throughout the country.
Last Thursday, New York State Assemblywoman Emily Gallagher defended people who steal basic necessities such as toothpaste and soap.
“People who are stealing things like toothpaste, people who are stealing things like soap, and that means if you are stealing those things, you need them,” the Democratic Socialist politician said at a press conference outside Manhattan Criminal Court. “And we are choosing to protect billion-dollar companies, like CVS and Walgreens, over the people who are struggling to get by.”
If Gallagher thinks stealing toothpaste will hurt billion-dollar corporations, then she should think again. An increase in petty theft will hurt law-abiding customers. It’s simple economics.
Businesses set prices based on supply and demand. If people steal goods from stores, decreasing supply, stores will naturally need to raise prices in response to the shortage. Politicians like Gallagher, however, refuse to acknowledge this economic principle.
Gallagher, along with her fellow advocates, insists that thieves are in such desperate need of toothpaste that their “biological need” justifies their actions.
“So I would say that the true crime is that there is such incredible wealth disparity in this city that there are people who can be thrown in jail simply for having a biological need,” Gallagher said at the press conference.
Surely New Yorkers in dire need of soap can get some at their local food bank or homeless shelter. Stealing from stores is a drastic measure that should not turn into the norm. Holding people accountable for their actions not only protects the thousands of jobs sponsored by billion-dollar companies, but it also ensures prices remain level for law-abiding customers.
Gallagher and other New York politicians are calling out Mayor Zohran Mamdani to follow through on his campaign promise to end “broken windows policing.” These “quality of life crimes,” as Democrats like to call low-level crimes, range from stealing a bar of soap to fare evasion.
While Democratic politicians may have a legitimate point when they argue that police should prioritize apprehending more serious offenses, it does not mean law enforcement should turn the other cheek for petty theft.
Economics aside, what is really concerning about Gallagher’s take is that following the trajectory of her wishes could lead to the abolition of police and prisons. DSA politicians campaign on the promise to do just that.
The DSA’s website links to the Defund The Police homepage, which clearly states: “#DefundPolice means divesting from institutions that kill, harm, cage and control our communities, and investing in violence prevention and interruption, housing, health care, income support, employment, and other community-based safety strategies that will produce safer communities for everyone.”
Step one of abolishing the police is taking away their power to police. That starts with politicians like Gallagher, who claim police have better things to do with their time than doing their job.
Dr. Frances Gill, a member of the DSA’s National Political Committee, acknowledged the organization’s goal to abolish the police. In an interview, NBC4’s political reporter Conan Nolan asked Gill how a rapist would get punished under a system with no police and prisons.
“I really want to avoid getting kind of caught into these hypotheticals and talk more about the reality that we’re actually facing right now, which is that we’re spending absolutely outrageous amounts of money on police and policing,” Gill said in the interview. “And we’re not spending money on things that actually make people safe and feel safe, which is things like actually well-lit streets.”
Tell that to a woman who just got assaulted and see how she reacts. The DSA wants to abolish the police, and it starts with a false sympathy toward those who want soap and toothpaste.
Humans are great at finding excuses for silly little things. Let’s not allow “the dog ate my homework” to become “the dog stole the toothpaste.”
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Christina Lewis is a journalism fellow with the Intercollegiate Studies Institute. She graduated from Hillsdale College, where she studied history, politics, and journalism. You can follow her work on X @By_Christina.
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