Letter to the editor: A thief is a thief, no excuses

The tempest in a beer can that is the FBI retrieval of unreturned government property from Mar-a-Lago brings to mind this scenario: You throw a party for your spouse, parent, etc. After the guests leave, you discover many pieces of your silverware are missing. Fortunately, a friend remembers seeing “Jim” exit with a lumpy, clanging bag of something. Next day, you go to Jim’s and politely ask if he “accidentally” took your stuff. Jim says, “let me check” and returns with a bag of your silverware. “Sorry, didn’t realize how important this was to you.” Returning home, you realize half is still missing. You give Jim a call, asking (politely, again) if he might have overlooked something. “No, I gave you everything.” Exasperated, you show up at his door a month later and ring his bell. You state your business; make your way to the dining room cabinet; retrieve your stuff; and leave.

Needless to say, you’re surprised when Jim really riles up his friends. “You never liked me! Always had it in for me!! Never appreciated the wonderful things I did for you!!!” Astonished at the outrageous gall, you fire back questions. “Why did you take my stuff to begin with?” “What were you going to do with it?” “Why didn’t you return it when I asked nicely for it?” Angry sputters and stutters: “You’re worried about your silverware, when millions of Americans are suffering from inflation, worried about the total destruction of America as we know it … and what about Hunter Biden’s laptop?”

Joseph Jamison

Greensburg