Our house was robbed and ransacked yesterday. Some thoughts:

[sixmile]

• No one was hurt (including my "watchdogs");
• Though some articles can be replaced, many cannot be;
• The police told me that it's getting worse and worse;
• There's a lot of transient trash down here;
• My insurance adjuster hasn't phoned us yet (must be on vacation);
• The spouse is traumatized;
• I'm numb to it...

[Brickbat]

1. Having been burglarized twice, my thoughts are with you.

It's a terrible feeling, but you do learn to deal.

[Odin2005]

2. I'm sorry!

That sucks! :(

[geckosfeet]

3. Ouch. Hope all works out. At least they left a computer.

[sixmile]

4. Nope. I'm at work

They took three Apples from the homestead. Nice haul.

[geckosfeet]

38. Damn. Sorry.

[CountAllVotes]

5. easy to believe

Things are getting bad where I live too. The other day I was at a 4-way stop sign and on each corner were groups of people with signs asking for money and help. Many of them had dogs with them that looked starved/hungry as well.

I try to give what I can to specific groups where I live. It is very difficult to know what the level of need is and how real it is.

I was distressed to find out the other day that a rescue where I live that hired a person that was found living under a bridge with 2 children began stealing from them after they took the person in.

I am sorry to read you've been robbed. It is a sign of the times no doubt.

I am distressed hearing about your losses. I hope the police can help perhaps?

[endless october]

6. i'm so sorry that this happened to you.

it's a really awful feeling to come home to find that your house was burglarized. i'm glad that your animals are ok. hang in there.

[BanzaiBonnie]

7. I'm so sorry

That's a terrible thing to have happen.

[LiberalLoner]

8. Oh, my goodness, I'm so sorry - I had an apartment burglarized when I was 19 and

lived in Arlington, Virginia, in a bad section. It takes awhile to feel safe again. I'm so sorry. I hope that you and your spouse feel safe again soon and that the insurance adjuster does right by you. I'm sorry for the things you have lost that can not be replaced.

[rsmith6621]

9. Sorry for Your Pain....But Ask Yourself...why is there transient trash

.....in your neighborhood????....because unemployment is above average...lack of social programs to get them off the streets...lack of adequate laws to keep that type of population down... And What can you do to reduce that population..

Again sorry for the loss..

[JanMichael]

10. I am sorry that happened to you, but "transient trash??"

Excuse me? That's how you refer to your fellow country men that are so down on their luck that they have to resort to stealing?

[sixmile]

11. No.

That's how I refer to career criminals who do nothing but victimize innocent people; and trash is probably being generous.

[JanMichael]

12. OK, you are traumatized. But, I am pretty sure that you understand

the socioeconomic conditions that create this "trash."

[Codeine]

13. That's baloney.

I've been homeless and never lowered myself to breaking into people's home and stealing their stuff. That's TRASH.

[JanMichael]

16. Like I wrote, you were/ are traumatized

I hope you guys are OK afterwards. I also hope it doesn't make you bitter.

[sandnsea]

17. Exactly

The assumption from the OP that it's homeless, well I don't think the experience of many DUers supports that. It probably isn't "transient trash".

[Capitalocracy]

19. +1

[Capitalocracy]

24. Caveat:

I DO understand that the socioeconomic conditions lead to this happening more, and the best way to prevent this from happening is to change them, but I don't see it as justified, generally speaking.

[JanMichael]

33. No, I don't see it as justified either.

This is an interesting post, and quite frankly the attitudes expressed toward the criminals are interesting in that they expose the closeness of the Dems and Repubs.

I think it could be an interesting conversation for later.

[backwoodsbob]

51. the attitudes displayed towards criminals?

a criminal walking in my house gets one and only one attitude...the barrel of a 12 pointed at them with bad intent.Make no mistake..if I don't know you and you walk into my house you won't receive a warm welcome

[TK421]

139. Expect to be called a gun-nut somewhere in this thread

it's a real shame these things happen, but all it really comes down to is protecting yourself and your property...it's you or them

[handmade34]

96. "attitudes expressed toward the criminals"

criminal implies that a crime was committed and it was a personal violation... I've been there and I have "attitude" and it's justified

[awoke_in_2003]

153. that is why he...

and I have both asked what the OP meant by "transient trash". And homeless people are not known for B&E- hell, how will they fence what they steal. Crack and meth heads, on the other hand, can trade out goods for drugs. Even so- does this make them trash, or do we, as a society, need to start helping these people out?

[Xenotime]

209. We need to help them. Their actions due to their suffering are a cry for help.

It's the only fair action to take.

[Name removed]

23. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[sixmile]

26. Thanks, and well stated

I'm expected to sympathize with trash, and I won't.

How anyone could defend crimes like these is beyond me. So damaged.

[woo me with science]

28. Good luck to you.

I really hope they catch them.

[awoke_in_2003]

154. exactly who are you calling trash?...

Homeless people- I am beginning to think that that is your thinking.

[JanMichael]

30. Your post has been alerted on

Nowhere did I write that this type of crime was OK because of economic conditions.

Your post is typical knee jerk reationary garbage that I would expect to see on FR.

[woo me with science]

34. Shame on you. nt

[JanMichael]

35. no, shame on you

for not even bothering to read my posts.

[woo me with science]

36. Sheesh. nt

[Warren DeMontague]

102. "fellow country men that are so down on their luck that they have to resort to stealing?"

That's what you wrote.

Frankly, that's an insult to all the poor and homeless people who DON'T break into peoples' houses, mug, etc. And what you're doing, here, is expressing sympathy for the perpetrator of a really fucked up crime.

Pure & simple.

[LiberalAndProud]

37. +1

[proteus_lives]

94. Yep, society. No is responsible for their own actions.

:eyes:

[BoneDaddy]

105. Wrong

I acknowledge the effect of "environment" and nurture over nature, but really when it comes down to it, the individual ultimately makes a choice. To remove that from them is irresponsible and you are doing them a disservice as they need to own what they do.

[Quantess]

116. Or meth addiction.

Did that occur to you that they might be meth addicts?

[TK421]

137. The socioeconomic conditions would be the last thing on my mind if that were me

I would probably feel violated like the OP, and angry...

"trash" is a gentle word...not everyone who is down on their luck would resort to something like this

[bobbolink]

141. So, you agree with calling a whole segment of the society by an epithet?

You *do* know that is called "prejudice", don't you?

So, yes, go ahead and direct your prejudice at me, too.

It's ever so "progressive", and what I have come to expect from DU.

[TK421]

142. What the ever-loving HELL are you on about? I think you responded to the wrong post!

[bobbolink]

151. Were these not your words???????

" "trash" is a gentle word...not everyone who is down on their luck would resort to something like this"

"TRASH" referred to a group of people, people known as HOMELESS.

So, you agree with TRASHING a segment of the population with those terms?

You respond with such vehemence because you felt so *wronged*.

Imagine, then, how *I*, as a homeless person, feel about that kind of broad-brush attack.

But, then.... maybe you can't stretch that far....?

[Name removed]

156. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[TK421]

170. I'm saying NOT EVERYONE who is down on their luck would resort to this

where you get your ideas....well, I have no idea

[Quantess]

175. What is your point? Would you like to admit you think that homeless people are thieving lowlifes?

Because I do not share your opinion that most homeless people are thieving lowlifes.

[Javaman]

190. Get back to us when your house is robbed, okay? nt

[Joe Chi Minh]

25. Career criminals are not transients. And I'm not even talking about white-collar crims.

Those people are probably at least semi-professional criminals, but I doubt, transients. Anyway, talking in this vein in the light of your misfortune is equally thoughtless - and perhap with less excuse. I hope you and your wife find a little peace soon.

[sixmile]

27. Ever hear of the Travelers?

The name alone implies transience. Now imagine a place where the 'Travelers' from many nations and across the entirety of the U.S. come together to perpetrate their crimes. That about explains home.

[Joe Chi Minh]

69. Literally, of course, you are correct about the meaning of "transience",

but the word, "transient" has customarily been used to described people who are anything but organised in a acquisitive way. That is why they are transient, and we are settled with possessions. If such a person were to resort to theft, it would almost certainly, one would imagine, be of an opportunistic nature.

"Damn transients, come to pick our navels!" was the angry lament of a character in Aldous Huxley's After Many a Summer. But I'm sure picking navels - even of the orange variety - would be an onerous way to earn a living, and not one at all favoured by any, even semi-professional, criminals.

Though I'm sure they have their thieves, travellers, gypsies, would not fall under this category, since their way of life is both organised and traditional. I remember a gypsy girl of about 17 coming into an off-licence I was working at, selling ribbons and knick-knacks, and offered her some money, while declining to accept any of her wares, but she wouldn't take it. I expect there is a wide variety of travellers/gypsies, like us.

Though they are not "transients" in that customary sense, do you have some knowledge of travellers having a culture of organised crime?

[Name removed]

99. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[uppityperson]

200. Are you seriously Roma bashing?

[msanthrope]

204. Why are you the only one singling out the Roma?

'Travelers' in America some from other ethnic groups, too.

No one mentioned ethnic groups, until you did.

Why is that?

[uppityperson]

205. You are right, I did single them out. OK, Traveler bashing.

[msanthrope]

207. As I point out downthread, if you have a more politically-correct term for

persons who are transient and perpetuate housebreaking, organized crime, and bunco schemes to survive, then post it....

I've always used 'traveler' since is doesn't imply a specific ethnic group, but rather a chosen way of life.

If I am wrong in my choice of terms, then let me know, but I reserve the right to disdain criminal activity.

********

Even in modern times, their association with trickery and crime has not abated. Just ask the California Contractors State License Board. The board frequently puts out warnings about Traveler-related home repair scams, many of which are perpetrated against trailer park residents and the elderly. Stuart Rind, an investigator for the board, says that the number of Traveler cases his agency investigates annually is on the rise as law enforcement grows more familiar with the prototypical Traveler scams. Every year, he says, "There are probably in the neighborhood of 25 to 50 cases that we can clearly say are Traveler-related, but we may have reports for double that amount where for one reason or another we can't make that designation."

In one of the most common cons, a group of Travelers will approach a resident, claim that they've noticed a defect in his or her roof, and offer to repair it. For emphasis, sometimes they'll sneak a squirt-bottle or sponge inside the home and, when the owner isn't looking, create a wet mark on the ceiling or floor to convince him that he has a hitherto-unnoticed leak. Then they'll offer to spray the roof with a sealant. But a resident who agrees to let them do the repairs doesn't get very much in return. "Sometimes we can prove they've done no work, just walked around on the roof for a half hour," Rind says. "Or sometimes they've sprayed latex paint."

Realizing that one has been fooled can be difficult, especially if the homeowner is elderly and unlikely to scale the roof to check up on the work himself -- Rind says some people have unwittingly been swindled by the same con five or six times.

In a related scam, Travelers have been known to approach mobile home residents and offer to coat their homes with a sunlight-reflecting substance that will keep the trailer cooler, although in reality this may or may not work. Even when employing legitimate materials, such as using asphalt to pave driveways, the board says that Travelers sometimes do work that is so shoddy the homeowner has to pay someone else to redo it. Because the Travelers are usually long gone by the time anyone's noticed the damage, it's hard to track them down for a refund. And a new Traveler scam that Rind says is emerging in the South Bay is even more sinister: They show up offering to trim your trees, get you out in the backyard, and then have their cohorts burglarize your house while you're not looking.

http://www.weitzlux.com/interest/news/scamartist_1171.html

[uppityperson]

208. We've had those scammers who are just assholes, not Travelers.

We're starting to have to watch my AP (aging parent) to make sure isn't take in. Disdain such activities for sure, but I do not agree that the whole group, the group as a whole, is professional criminals. Here is the bit right before what you clipped:

No one seems to have a very accurate count of how many Travelers currently live in the United States -- estimates range between 7,000 and 30,000 -- although it's generally believed that Travelers first began emigrating to the United States in the 1840s during the potato famine. In the United States, the Traveler population seems to be concentrated in South Carolina, Texas, and Arizona, and of those who still travel -- now often driving top-of-the-line SUVs and trailers -- many make their living doing home repair and contracting work. But despite these tidbits, the lives of Irish Travelers remain mysterious to outsiders. "They are very closed societies and they marry within their own, they stay to their own," says Kevin Mullen, librarian for San Francisco's Irish Cultural Center. "A lot of people say that they are light-fingered and duplicitous, and others say they're not." Like most itinerants in a settled world, the Travelers aroused the suspicion of townspeople throughout their history and have been the subject of hyperbolic legends. "In historical times they used to say that they'd steal babies or children," Mullen says.

[msanthrope]

211. Actually, the way it's been explained to me, the very nature of their

transient lifestyle precludes 'straight' living.

Does this mean that everyone in the ethnic group is a criminal? Of course not--but if you choose the 'Traveler' way of life, (a transient culture) you are pretty much guaranteed to have to support yourself through criminal activity.

I would never portray a particlar ethnic group as "they are all like that." But some definitely choose a certain lifestyle.

ETA--from the quote you pulled--I don;t think you get SUV's and trailers from a transient, straight existence....

[uppityperson]

213. I know a lot of people who have chosen transient lifestyle who work hard where and when they chose

many who are involved with agriculture or forestry. The culture they are in is transient but no, not guaranteed supporting themselves through criminal activity.

Then you get the problem of no one wants to hire you because "transients steal and are not to be trusted", so what does one do? It gets into a vicious cycle and I am glad to know people who, though transient by choice and culture, are not like that and have found others who own property to work with them also.

[msanthrope]

215. Right, 'cause the transients you know drive SUVs and trailers?

Have home repair companies and the tools to do so?

If you had read the post I was replying to, we were discussing an article on the nature of the Travelers. Not agricultural workers, or forestry people.

[uppityperson]

218. So you are singling out a group of people to be prejudiced against? Thanks for clarifying

That your problem is not transient people or people who live a transient lifestyle but (big T) Travelers.

[awoke_in_2003]

155. Oh goodie...

now we are moving to Roma bashing. :sarcasm:

[JVS]

177. Maybe it was Tinkers.

But I think this thread has become absurd if we're now speculating without any evidence that some transient band has plundered the OP's home.

[bobbolink]

191. Isn't it comforting to see "democrats" talking the same as tea partiers?

Gives you a good case of the warm fuzzies, doesn't it?

[uppityperson]

199. Ever hear of Gypsies? The name along implies gypping, stealing, etc. SHAME on you

Roma bashing? How oh so progressive of you.

In case anyone is concerned, my subject line is extreme :sarcasm:.

[JVS]

32. Gotta agree with you there. Being transient makes it hard to have the proper connections.

If your car stereo is stolen or someone breaks into your house and runs off with whatever they can carry, then transients might be the ones who did it. But if they came and cleaned out all the valuables, then that indicates that they likely had a vehicle, partners to help with the plundering, and knew where they could fence the goods. This takes a social network that transients usually lack.

[Donnachaidh]

121. and you know for CERTAIN that the people who robbed you were career criminals?

Karnac -- long time no see! :sarcasm:

[Xenotime]

206. Sorry for your loss but that's not very progressive of you.

[Hekate]

29. His house was cleaned out; he & his family are the victims of a crime. How easily you dismiss that.

All I ever had stolen was my purse from my student apartment, WHILE I SLEPT, and it took me a long, long time to feel secure again. The thief didn't get much -- I think $20 -- but I was living very close to the bone at that time and it was my bus and occasional money for the month, iirc. I also had to shell out to replace the contents of my purse, and when you have nothing, it adds up.

Every item that sixmile has to replace is going to be a reminder of the time his personal sanctuary for his family was violated. Not safe anymore. Possessions purchased over many years with the cost spread out accordingly, have to be replaced at greater cost. Some things are literally irreplaceable.

His feelings are what they are. You and rsmith can do the work of social and economic change for awhile, and let the victim of the crime do the work of repairing his own life without being scolded.

Hekate

[Warren DeMontague]

59. Wow. It only took 7 or 8 posts into the thread, this time.

Before someone started defending the fucking thieves.


:eyes:

[TK421]

140. Really....this place makes me want to vomit sometimes n/t

[SteveM]

84. When they bust into someone's place, yeah "trash" (transient or not) is fitting. nt

[Warren DeMontague]

100. Last time we had one of these threads, someone started quoting "Les Miserables"

Yes, the sad lament of the person forced to break into someone else's house and trash it. Some people here are living in a SERIOUS fucking bubble.

[SteveM]

223. Progressive social policies end at the smashing of my bedroom window. nt

[bobbolink]

160. Oh, I see....

So, if a black person were to break into a house, they are black trash?

If a gay person breaks into a house, they are gay trash?

And on and on and on.

Great that you like prejudice. Its ever so becoming to "progressives".

:puke:

[SteveM]

221. When you get through upchucking...

Yes, they are trash. Incidentally, "trash" is most used in reference to rather sociopathic whites, though the term is more widely-used, now; in fact, trash is used to apply to anyone who has earned the label by committing violent crimes against others. But evidently you do not agree.

"Great that you like prejudice. Its ever so becoming to 'progressives'".

Since you have not proven or even showed tangentially that I am "prejudiced" (unless you wish to hold criminals to some unseemly standard of equality), then this is a straw man; of course the tagged-on remarks about "progressive" are therefore not relevant.

Though I don't know ultimately what you are getting at, it sounds like you want a chance to prove (or hustle) your bona fides. I would choose a better example by which to "prove" who is more prejudiced or more progressive than quibbling over a thug's moral character. THAT is not becoming.

All clear, now?

[bobbolink]

224. So, you don't see the difference between "criminals" and "transients"? What was your education?

"quibbling over a thug's moral character. "

Now you are equating "thugs" with homeless people.

The prejudice gets clearer.

Thanks for showing DUers just how woefully they have managed to educate people to the real issues.

[SteveM]

226. Sorry, you have failed again. And you ARE trying to get spurs...

The story was about a break-in/theft, and the perpetrators were termed "transient trash" by others, no? If you care to look up stream from my posts you will see where I said they were "trash," transient or not. If you do not wish to acknowledge this, then you are prima facie dishonest.

"Now you are equating 'thugs' with homeless people."

This is YOUR "equation," and you know it. You should not be dishonest, even if you think the moral high ground is trying to prove your morals are more moral than my morals. It is not.

"Thanks for showing DUers just how woefully they have managed to educate people to the real issues."

Not sure what you mean here, unless you are taking on still more DUers in some kind of hazy conflict. You are picking a fight in an empty barroom.

[BoneDaddy]

104. Stop with the insanity

not everyone who steals is a good person who is suffering. God, I give everyone a fucking break but this sugary sweet shit has to go...there are some bad motherfuckers out there who would think nothing of taking your crap and sticking a knife in your throat, regardless of your politics. Come now.

[Raine]

110. Geeesh

"fellow country men down on their luck" what crap! :eyes: "Fellow countrymen" don't prey on other "fellow countrymen" no matter how "down on their luck" they are!!!! :silly:

edit:typo

[SoxFan]

128. You've got to be fucking kidding me

Let me guess, Charles Manson was just a misunderstood artist who got a raw deal from the Beach Boys.

[Renew Deal]

146. I was positive that one of the perpetually outraged would complain about the transient remark.

And someone came through. :yourock:

[JI7]

150. They are Fucking Trash, Did they just steal food or things like Computers ?

i had things stolen from me. i refer to them all as trash. i hope horrible tihngs happen to them.

[Xenotime]

210. I really can't believe what I'm reading here on this fourm...

This is really sad progressive minded individuals have this point of view.

[JI7]

225. Sorry but being Progressive has never meant supporting people who steal like this, and it's not

homeless people who do it.

i have had things stolen from me and i hope every fucking piece of shit one of them suffers something horrible . fucking useless scums .

[lapislzi]

189. You don't know that any more than the OP knows that they are "transient trash."

My next-door neighbors' (a retired couple) house was burgled just before Labor Day. This, in a deadly quiet (and not especially well-to-do) neighborhood where no one locks their doors and the biggest worry is raccoons getting into the trash (we lock up the trash, but not our houses). I've lived here 15 years, and until now, burglaries were a rarity. Now, my computers, prescription meds,and good jewelry come to work with me every day. I've started locking up and asking my ex to park his other car in my driveway when he can.

This is new, and scary. I'm sure desperation is a factor.

[chrisa]

203. Some aren't "down on their luck,"

and are just looking to feed a drug addiction. That was the case in my neighborhood.

[Codeine]

14. You have my sympathies, sixmile.

And screw the people trying to justify it. Your home is your fucking home, and you were violated.

[sandnsea]

15. The criminals could have been anyone

First guess is drug addicts. Second is stupid kids. Way way down on the list is "transient trash". They're homeless because they DON'T steal from people.

[sixmile]

21. Transient does not mean homeless

Transient means moving around. Please don't equate the two - it's below this board.

And I have NO sympathy for anyone who commits a crime against me.

[Gormy Cuss]

52. Please define what you mean by "transient trash"

and why you believe such trash committed the crime against your property. That way people may have a better understanding of why you used that term in your OP.

[EFerrari]

109. Transient and hobo are common names for the homeless.

And it's not "below" this board to be in charge of the English language.

[G_j]

220. a very unfortunate choice of words

Many take that to mean homeless. I don't think you can blame them for that.

[jillan]

18. We were once robbed while we were sleeping - I understand how you must be feeling - but

I wonder if the people who robbed you were doing it for drug money? That's who I alway assumed who robbed my family...Addicted trash.

[Codeine]

40. Most burglars aren't addicts, they're pros --

people who have decided to make a living by violating homes and taking other people's shit.

[Xenotime]

212. Again with the name calling! Geez.

[Matariki]

20. Sorry to hear that. Been there too.

More than losing things, the sense of violation and lack of security is a real drag. I'd suggest doing an evaluation of your house and doing things to make it more secure. Just for you & your family's peace of mind

[Capitalocracy]

22. Similar reaction with me and my wife

We were robbed on the street fairly recently... she was freaking out, basically had a panic attack, and I could hardly even feel surprised. I didn't feel surprised at all, it just seemed totally normal to me... I'd been expecting it to happen anytime now, it's a slightly different socioeconomic situation, we're in Argentina, crime rate is really high, and I look foreign. Here you hear fairly regularly about people being killed because someone robbed them and didn't find as much money on them as they would've liked... I mean, why wouldn't they when they never catch these people? which, being quite possibly the poorest American in this country, makes me think my time on this earth may be limited.

[ProgressiveEconomist]

31. Happened to me once. Were you profiled, or was your house 'cased'?

Thieves have common profiles they look for. All the commercials you see for "Cash for Gold" make thieves' stereotypes drive them to seek out houses they THINK might contain gold. Does anyone in your family wear thick gold jewelry? Some window displays identify residents' religion as one which prohibits interest-bearing bank accounts and thus higher likelihood of on-site gold.

Have you had any strange visitors lately? Some apparent door-to-door salesmen aren't really salesmen. They're in your house or looking through your open door to take a quick inventory of what you have that they might be able to steal.

[sixmile]

39. We keep our house neat...

If I go into more detail about who does my landscaping, painting, the grown men riding girl's bikes up and down the street, the local pill heads, etc. I'll be accused of profiling. No thanks.
I've realized in the past hour and by reading some of these posts that DU isn't the best place to share true crime experiences.
It's best to just say that I was robbed and all souls are OK.

[JanMichael]

41. OK, you know what? We have been victims of crime too.

Violent crime. You are posting on a liberal/ Democratic website. When you post, you might expect some social commentary about the "big picture."

I seriously doubt you will be accused of "profiling." I only questioned your use of the word "trash"...that was IT.

I also wished you well, and hoped that it didn't make you bitter.

I understand that you are venting, and that you probably won't be able to think straight for awhile. However, in the meantime.... I can certain look at conservative polices that will cause an uptick in crime like this and mull about it, you know?

[sixmile]

46. Right and wrong do not need further labels

Conservative v. Liberal. Democrat v. Republican.

How about Right v. Wrong?

And I am thinking perfectly straight. Not everything is politics.

And the 'trash' label I used applies across all genders, races, income levels, political spectrums, ages, etc. If the shoe fits.

Sorry to hear about your incident.

[H2O Man]

50. It appears that your

"trash" label applied to a specific group of people, based upon economics. If you had called the group that burglarizes/robs homes "trash," I suspect that you would have had a different reaction.

I'm sorry about your experience. I am familiar with it, and consider the thugs who engage in such behaviors in need of incarceration.

[mjane]

82. Burglars are trash

I stand with you here.

[Codeine]

42. Most of DU isn't like that, just a few loudmouths

who want to justify and minimize criminal behavior because they believe it enhances their liberal bona fides. Drives me bananas, but it really isn't the majority opinion.

I daresay they'd be less sanguine about the issue had THEIR homes been entered and THEIR computers and such taken, but they tend to live in nicer neighborhoods where they can be insulated from the uglier side of human behavior.

[Name removed]

43. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Codeine]

47. "Conservatives" my ass.

Not wanting to justify burglary and rightly condemning those who would do such a think as "trash" is - by no stretch of the imagination - a "conservative" position. You shame yourself with stupid accusations.

[woo me with science]

56. +1000000

Just wow.

[msanthrope]

98. Damn straight, great post. n/t

[pintobean]

73. All conservatives on this thread, raise your hand

I don't see any hands.

[JanMichael]

74. Oh, I doubt the "trash 'n gun" crowd will self identify with that label

because they voted for Obama.

[pintobean]

78. Good thing you're here

to apply labels.
I guess the hide thread function isn't working.

[Codeine]

79. Aren't you just precious? nt

[SteveM]

91. What is a "trash 'n gun" crowd?

[SteveM]

90. I'm not sure your "conservative" label should be based on attitudes toward crims...

I believe my liberal/left credentials can stand with anyone posting in these threads. I do not subscribe to the notion that a hard-line attitude toward B&E is "conservative." Such notions seek to stigmatize those who wish to see criminals held accountable and given sufficient punishment (esp. removal from society for particularly dangerous acts). While politics are subject to emotions and moral arguments, they better serve the community when used in a more dispassionate manner with clear policy objectives and measureable means to achieve them. An overly-emotional approach is calling others "conservative" because they believe in due punishment/removal from society.

Please note that most felonies are committed by repeat felons. More repitition often leads to an escalation in violence.

[Doremus]

107. I'm right behind ya. nt

[proteus_lives]

97. I never understood it either.

I think it's same way with guns and the 2nd Amendment. They think it gives them street cred.

[Quantess]

117. more-bleeding-heart-than-thou

If you get burglarized, you're supposed to sigh gently, and say,
"that victim of society needed my stuff more than I did". :eyes:

[TK421]

158. Hell...they should have put out a flashing sign! I hope the burglars

didn't have too much of a hard time breaking into the place! Can you imagine if one of them busted out a window and cut themselves on the glass? How horrible that must be for them! :eyes:

this fucking place sometimes

[Fumesucker]

45. It's not the experience of being a crime victim that got the responses you don't like..

It was your ponderings on who did the deed.

I've been the victim of similar things in the past, in my case I figured out that it was someone I knew, not a friend but an acquaintance. Of course I had no proof I could take to a court but I'm fairly certain of my conclusion.

Similar things have also happened to family members, indeed in one instance we strongly suspect the police were complicit in the crime.

[uppityperson]

202. Exactly. I am sorry for being a crime victim, but "transient trash" is what gets me

I understand "trash" meaning an insult for someone who commits such a crime, but wtf is "transient trash" beyond what I have read elsewhere here, Roma or similar?

[CountAllVotes]

48. my friend has been robbed a few times

I think it is more on the level of semi-professional thieves in this case. They too had their computers stolen from their home.

The odd part is this: They had an alleged Jehovah's Witness coming around to their door and asked if anyone in the home spoke a specific language that is not especially common in this country. My friend said yes. They offered to leave literature in this specific language and wanted to come into the home.

I guess what I am saying to you is to be careful as to who you let into your house. Maybe one of these people that works for you is behind it? That is what I think rather than a transient.

Maybe I am wrong.

In any event, I am sorry to hear about this and as I posted before, I believe we will be seeing more of this.

If you have any valuables they should be locked up in a safety deposit box or a safe. I realize it isn't possible to lock up computers. For this reason, I never keep passwords, etc. stored anywhere but in my brain. God help me should that fail.

On edit: I also invested in a good shredder. I shred everything that I get in the mail that is junk and/or has my name and address on it, especially places that might be selling things that attract thieves. I won't elaborate any further on this as it has been addressed in one of the above posts.

:dem:

[tourivers83]

55. I know it hurts.

I am sorry you had to go through that but we do talk about this stuff a lot in the Gungeon.

:mad:

[sandnsea]

114. Well that's what I just said

My first guess would be drug addicts.

That would be the local "pill heads". We call them tweakers, I imagine we're talking about the same thing. I stood out in the yard and cheered when the cops took one down across the street from me and hauled him away. I'm all about getting tweakers off the streets.

The grown men riding bikes are good citizens because they aren't driving cars. They're generally men with DUIs.

I think over-generalizing criminal activity is the reason the prisons are full and crime isn't gone. DU isn't the best place to to tarnish everybody who isn't like you with the label "criminal".

We are all sorry for your suffering.

[RobinA]

219. In Many Parts of Town

grown men riding kids bikes are most assuredly NOT good citizens. Good entrepreneurs, maybe. Good citizens, not so much.

[uppityperson]

201. "the grown men riding girl's bikes up and down the street"? What?

[ProgressiveEconomist]

61. Sorry if my post somehow offended you. Certainly didn't mean to. I was

sharing my thoughts after experiencing the horrible violation of having had my house ransacked. I think I figured out what happened in my case and took steps to prevent a recurrence. Either my actions worked or I've been very lucky over the past years. I've been a burglary victim only once in my life.

Don't forget to save your police report and get a tax writeoff--see, for example, http://www.ehow.com/about_6326247_can-claim-taxes-after-burglary_.html .

[sixmile]

64. No offense taken

I just don't want to stir up the nomenclature police on this board by telling the truth. Thanks for your concern and your valuable advice.

[Warpy]

44. It takes a while to get over that sense of violation

especially when some junkie asshole takes things that can't be replaced. In my case, it was wedding rings from recently deceased parents. I honestly don't give a shit about anything but those. It was a smash and grab and a lot of what he took was sitting out because it was broken and slated to be sent for repair. I hope he chokes on all of it and may his next fix be cut with Drano.

I got hit a second time and surprised them in the act, so they didn't get much.

Everything I have that's in the open is refurbished and easy to replace. Things that are tougher to replace are, um, stored in a decentralized manner. Oh, it can all be found, but a drug thug is going to have to spend hours going through this place to do it and most want to be in and out within 10-15 minutes before the cops show up if a nosy neighbor has spotted them and phoned it in.

There is no way to be 100% safe and I've resented the damage they caused to the house more than the crap they stole both times. Still, I'm keeping one point of relatively easy access because I'm from a part of the country where steel framed crime doors are breached by hydraulic jacks and security iron on the windows means they'll just chop a hole in the exterior wall or roof to get in, both expensive repairs that I don't want to confront along with the loss of refurbished consumer junk.

It is going to get worse, too.

[Hekate]

49. I am just so sorry this happened to you, and even sorrier for the lack of empathy on this board.

You and your family are real people, not statistics showing "householders" on one side and "the economically disadvantaged" on the other.

Do what you have to do to make your home feel secure again, hug your family close, and be well. :hug:

Hekate

[TBF]

53. I notice the lack of empathy for anyone not of a certain

economic status on this board.

[Hekate]

60. Yeah, God forbid you should have anything worth stealing.

[TBF]

88. That's not what I'm saying - but you know that.

It is this automatic turning of the poor into criminals, and then incarcerating them of course (which we do better than any other country). Next thing you know we'll be incarcerating the homeless. Then again, probably not. Giving them somewhere to live and food to eat would be seen as "soft" by these "new democrats". Let them eat stale bread in the cold.

[pipi_k]

179. Actually, it's the automatic assumption

that someone else was talking about the poor stealing something just because the person used the term "transient" to describe the trash who broke into his house and ransacked it.


Transients don't have to equal the homeless. Transients can be middle class teenagers from a different neighborhood who decide to rip off someone's house for fun. Or maybe for stuff to sell for drugs.

It's happened many times where I live. Kids from down in the more thickly settled part of town come up here to the woods and break into summer homes, smash mailboxes, rob shit out of unlocked cars.

They don't live here. They come up for a while to do their mischief, and then they leave. They are transient trash.


The OP never said, nor did he imply, that it was homeless people. He used the term "transient", which has different meanings, but certain individuals want to focus on ONE meaning of the word and then keep insisting (without evidence) that the OP is actually putting down the poor.


Oh, and even if it IS poor people doing that sort of thing, what gives them the right to rob from others? Theft is a crime, last I heard. Why not just ask for what they want?

Oh...yeah. I forgot. It's humiliating to have to ASK. Pride requires that they just rip someone off instead.

[Binka]

143. WTF?

Later as in on ignore. Yuck.

[Hekate]

157. So sad to be an illustration of the very thing I mentioned in post #118. You go back far enough ...

... to actually remember when DU was a community.

But since you now have me on ignore, you won't be able to read either that post or this.

Those days are over.

Hekate

[JanMichael]

62. Seriously

at this point, this thread belongs in the lounge.

God knows, I am sorry for anyone who is a victim of a crime, but I am on DU because I am sad about people who are victims of this ungodly capitalistic society too...and hope to discuss bigger issues.

[TBF]

89. thank you,

I'm glad to see there are a few who are still interested in talking about the root of the problems.

[Quantess]

112. self-delete

Never mind. Wrong post.

[Codeine]

54. Well said, Hekate. nt

[sandnsea]

115. If he had said those "transient n******"

Would you think it should be ignored because he's suffering?

I find his remark just as offensive.

[Heywood J]

130. Except that he didn't say that.

"If he had..." covers a lot of irrelevant things. "If I had put words in his mouth..."

[sandnsea]

163. He used bigoted hateful language

Whether he said "lazy n******" or "transient trash", he disparaged a group of people based on a stereotype, not their character.

[Liberal_in_LA]

57. Watch out for the followup burglary - you get new stuff thru insurance, they come back

Happened to my relatives. Got the replacement TV after insurance reimbursement. They come back for the new stuff.

Not to make you paranoid...just be more vigilent

[sixmile]

58. Thanks

We'll be adding new layers of defense as we put everything back together.

[mjane]

85. Keep records of the serial #'s of everything you own

that could be stolen. That is the easiest way for cops to catch people - with the stolen property. At least in my areas, pawn shops enter serial #'s of pawned items into a database, and the cops have 24/7 access to that database.

There are millions of Ipods, for example, but only ONE with serial #: ############

also, use your cell phone or a video camera, to go through your house and record everything you own visually, as well as recording ther serial #'s. That makes dealing with insurance companies much easier.

It's not forensics, but possession of the stolen property that is the easiest way to catch burglars.

Also, if your items are at all unique, keep an eye on craigslist for them.

[Liberal_in_LA]

133. good tips

[XOKCowboy]

63. The feeling of being violated was overwhelming for me.

I was lucky. I was asleep on the couch in the next room. I woke up suddenly when I heard a noise in the kitchen. The window had been pried open and I heard someone jumping over the fence. I was shaking with rage and fear. I'm not a violent man but I wanted to kill that person. If I hadn't fallen asleep on the couch I'd have been in bed with my wife and never heard the break in. That scared me more than anything else.

It took me a long time for the rage to subside. I'm a pacifist, I don't have a gun, we didn't have that much worth stealing but it outraged me that someone would put my and my wife's life in stake for a cheesy stereo and old tv. It really shook this old hippy's core values.

[sixmile]

65. Glad you're okay

It's quite disturbing knowing a stranger has invaded your stuff, no matter how modest. Best.

[XOKCowboy]

176. Heck I'm fine. It was a long time ago...

I finally found it in myself to forgive whoever was trying to break in. It was a test of my liberal spirit but I overcame. :)

[Warpy]

87. One thing I've been most glad about was that I didn't have any guns

because I know that's how a lot of them get into the hands of punk kids.

[SteveM]

93. If you have guns, keep them locked in safes. nt

[The Midway Rebel]

66. Been burgled twice.

And I am fucking poor to begin with. First time they got my irreplaceable guitars, guns and wife's jewelery. I was a full-time student with a part-time job at the time and we let the homeowner insurance lapse. Total loss. Never got anything back. Second time we ran them off with a loud burglar alarm siren. Both times the assholes let my dogs out to run the cows.

I was mad and sad for months.

I know how hard it is not to take such an event personally.

An old farmer once told me that if somebody steals your stuff it just means they needed it worse than you do.

I forget the odds of your home being broken into but, I recall they are pretty good in favor of alarm companies.

Glad everybody and your "watch dogs" are OK. Get a 12 ga. and a LOUD burglar alarm system.

[Codeine]

70. It sucks when instruments get stolen!

People don't realize the amount of saving and planning it can take for some folks to buy a nice guitar or whatever, and when you do finally get one it's a part of you -- a way of expressing yourself and part of your personality.

[Pithlet]

67. Happened to us a couple of months ago.

It's rough. The irreplaceable things are hard to deal with. I still feel sad when I think about those. I'm sorry it happened to you, too. It sucks. I know.

[safeinOhio]

68. I'm sorry to hear that.

Please google "cheap home security" for some great CHEAP ways to secure your home. I'm not into service contracts, so a monitored alarm system with $30/month fees was out. I've spent a couple of hundred dollars on 3 inch screws for hinges and strikers, fake alarm signs and window stops. 2 things I bought that I really like are the Spy Phone and the Fake TV. The phone looks like a regular phone. It has a motion detector that calls my cell phone if there is any motion. I can then listen in to hear if anyone is rummaging around and then have the sheriff dept on speed dial. Cost $51. Then I have the fake tv. A little box that has a realistic multi color strobe light that mimic a turned on tv on the shades. Cost about $20. I bought a door alarm for my friends daughter that was in a dorm in college. It let off a siren when anyone giggled the door handle and did scare away a couple of idiots. Cost, about $15. Do the google and you can learn a bunch about being safe.

[sixmile]

71. All great tips. Thanks

We have an alarm but didn't have it on during the day (we figured the yapping hounds would scare away trespassers), alarm stickers on the windows, etc.
It was probably a cased job, but we'll definitely be more careful from here on.

[WinkyDink]

72. {{{sixmile and Mrssixmile}}}

[Ignis]

75. That really sucks.

But it's great to hear no one was hurt!

[watercolors]

76. Happen to us last week, gone only an hour

Police were wonderful and very helpful, insurance company gave us very good info as to what to . We were both trumatized, but decided not to be VICTIMS ANY MORE, it is benind us. We still find it crazy them stealing our cock screw for the wine, but left a few bottles on the table, guess they were not old enough to drink!! Yes I lost some jewlery that was my grandmother, and flatware that cannot be replaced, some of it over 100 yrs old, but we are fine, and will make sure our alarm system in on everytime we leave the house. We were told that it is likely a gang of young adults causing the problems. We had to put our dog to sleep, she was a great watch dog, had her for 17 yrs, it is hard for us to think of getting another at this time.

[Pithlet]

80. There were odd things they didn't take with us, too.

They didn't take our HD Tivo, or the Wii. The Tivo was just dangling by its cord from the wall. They could have easily taken it along with the rest. I'm so afraid they're going to come back.

[SheilaT]

77. Much sympathy to you.

Being robbed or burglarized must be unpleasant, to say the very least. It's never happened to me.

I joke that any thief that broke into my place would take one look at the mess and conclude that someone else had just been there, and would leave.

[Codeine]

81. "We had intended to ransack the place

but instead took pity and did some light vacuuming and dusting." :rofl:

[SheilaT]

161. I could only hope

that thieves would take pity on me that way.

:-) :-) :-)

[SteveM]

83. Please be advised. They will be back...

Once a place is burlarized, there is a strong possibility/probability the B&E boys will be back; easy pickins' in their parlance. Do take steps to better secure your place, use more lighting, etc. If nothing appears to have changed, they will return with the added attitude of contempt for the "victim."

[PufPuf23]

86. Meth is really dangerous in destroying an individuals humanity

I know people that are "transients" and borderline outlaws that would go too far to protect me (multigenerational familiarity)and we were born into that situation -- live very rural in a primarily American Indian area. I pick up young hitchhikers (mostly Indians, counter-culture, or visiting backpackers) regularly the last 40 miles (thru National Forest and Indian Reservation) because I know their families/people/elders and it is best they recognize me or I can give good hints to young hikers. I do have judgement about outsiders and known problematic people. I have received gifts including a large red/black obsidian blade, a small yew wood ritual bow, and good smoke.

People aren't trash; no one asks to be born to my knowledge.

Some people are psycho-paths; the most successful psychopaths are some of the most materially blessed and socially admired and in positions of authority. I have three relatives I would put in that category.

[AnArmyVeteran]

92. Get ready to be victimized again by your insurance company.

When my house was robbed I had to battle Allstate. They tried to further victimize me. I was paid a paltry amount and then I sued them in small claims court for the rest. I represented myself and I exposed their blatant lies and I won.

First thing you should do: Get a microcassette recorder and record EVERY call you have with them. That's what won my case for me. In fact, anytime you call any business for any reason RECORD the calls. It's relatively easy to get them to incriminate themselves if you do your homework.

BTW, I was successful in getting the Allstate agent fired and he lost his business because I proved in court he lied. The icing on the cake is that he was a right winger. I knew that because when I went to his office Rush Limblah was on all the time. So my victory against him was very sweet.

[handmade34]

95. so sorry

been there and it hurts...

[IMATB]

101. I feel for you.

My house was broken into twice.

The first time Christmas presents were taken. I was at the library and someone climbed through my bathroom window after breaking it. No one was ever arrested but a neighbor was suspected.

The second time I caught my sister's husband trying to break in through my bedroom window while I was napping.

When he saw me he took off running. I called my sister and asked why he was breaking into my house ? She said I was a liar and hung up on me.

Family, in broad daylight. Talk about make you sick.

Years later he told my sister after their divorce was final he was actually breaking in to make sure I was okay. He could have called or knocked.

He had an addiction to speed and was looking to pawn my things only it didn't work out like he planned.

[Raine]

103. I feel your pain, it happened to me

about two months ago. Someone came in during the day while no one was home, they busted a lot of glass to get in but since all inner doors were locked they had a hard time getting much of anything and had to go back out thru the window they came in. Since then I put in an alarm and a camera system but I never come home without my heart beating a little faster for fear of what I might find. I think it will take a long time (if ever) to get over it. :hug:

[Liberal_in_LA]

134. awww. Sorry u went thru that. Hope it doesn't happen again.

[Curmudgeoness]

106. After this happened to me, I did not replace anything that was not

absolutely necessary. I figured, why bother. I also was traumatized. What I did buy was an etcher and I put my driver's license number on every item I owned in a prominent spot right in the front. Police suggested this because it is harder for them to get rid of it, and they know it and will usually pass on taking it. It took me years to decide to have nice things again. I refused to have any jewelery except one necklace that was a gift that I would never take off. I felt so stupid for having every piece of jewelry in one box that they could so easily find and take sitting right there prominently on the dresser. I feel for you.

[lunatica]

108. Look at the list of crimes the Oakland police will not respond to anymore

Since they cut 80 police officers out of the police department. Maybe your insurance adjuster is busy with a backlog of customers.
Here's a partial list:

* burglary
* theft
* embezzlement
* grand theft
* grand theft:dog
* identity theft
* false information to peace officer
* required to register as sex or arson offender
* dump waste or offensive matter
* discard appliance with lock
* loud music
* possess forged notes
* pass fictitious check
* obtain money by false voucher
* fraudulent use of access cards
* stolen license plate
* embezzlement by an employee (over $ 400)
* extortion
* attempted extortion
* false personification of other
* injure telephone/ power line
* interfere with power line
* unauthorized cable tv connection
* vandalism
* administer/expose poison to another's

[LWolf]

111. What is "transient trash?" nt

[kimi]

113. I'm so sorry

The feeling of violation is so devastating. I hope you and your family can get through this alright, it will take time. Peace.

[Hekate]

118. DU used to be a community where people actually cared if you got hurt. And if others wanted to...

.... mull over the big picture, they might have the sensitivity to start another thread rather than picking apart the victim's statements about his/her experience.

It wasn't that long ago that DUers felt safe posting about illness, death, divorce, and job loss, and felt confident that familiar names would rally around, and that any comments about social ills would be incidental to the sympathy for a fellow human being and not something that could be taken as pointing a finger of blame toward the one who was hurting.

My family suffered a grievous loss in early July. I've been here so long I actually contemplated posting the news, and then I took a good look around and decided it would probably be a bad idea. A month or so later someone here posted a "check-in thread" so I finally shared along with a couple hundred others, feeling safe in the crowd. But I'm still glad I never tried an OP. Those days are over.

Sixmile's OP was so mild a statement, in my opinion, that it scarcely counts as venting -- he said he was numb, and he sounded numb. It's not a rant. It's not calling for new prisons to be built, there's no speculation about race, creed, color, or national origin. He didn't wave his gun around or swear to get pit bulls next time.

Yet several people zeroed in on one phrase they decided was insensitive to the perps, and used the fact that this is a liberal/Dem board to chastise the OP and others for pointing out who the victim in this case is.

Something is really wrong with this picture, DU.

Hekate

[Raine]

119. I agree totally

it's very sad that a couple of words are pulled out and turned against the poster. Its that kind of thing that gives liberalism a bad name. There is an old saying that that liberals love the masses and hate the individual, conservatives love the individual and hate the masses, often reading DU I see the truth in that. :-(

[handmade34]

124. thanks for saying that

there is something wrong when we can't have empathy for a friend

[SoCalDem]

125. You've got that right.. The contrarians around here are "bountiful"

NO topic is without "interest" to them...

I am often amazed at the weird turns a simple thread can take..:(

I am sorry for your recent troubles, Hekate :hug:

Last night I found out that a dear old friend of mine had died.

[Hekate]

127. Thank you...

All any of us can do is put one foot in front of another until the day comes when we realize we have walked to the edge of the devastation and are in a new life. It's different. But that's okay. It gets better.

When you mentioned your friend, I immediately thought of mine and what it would mean to me if she were gone. :hug: back atcha.

Hekate

[Pithlet]

162. Yep. There's always at least one, every time.

Just saw one in a thread about the San Bruno Fire. It never fails.

[Mz Pip]

132. Well said.

My son's home was burglarized. There was a security camera across the street that got some video. They were unidentified teenagers. I'm sure they just needed his fiancees wedding rings to help pay the rent. Sometimes "trash" is an appropriate discription.

[pipi_k]

148. Trash is indeed sometimes an appropriate description, as well as

the word "transient" in front of it, which could be understood by one of its meanings, which is "staying a short time".

As in people who don't want to burglarize their own neighborhoods so they go across town to commit the crime.


Amazing...truly amazing...

a word can have a dozen definitions, but people will zero in on the one they feel insults THEM the most.

Because it's all about them.

[pipi_k]

145. Agreed...this is not even a case where someone did something to cause

his own misfortune.

A statement was made about "transient trash" and people can't just let it pass knowing the person who made it was likely VERY angry, as he had every right to be. Angry and scared and feeling violated.

No, people have to take that statement personally. Like the OP was speaking about them...

Don't express empathy for someone who was the victim of a crime...just make one of his statements all about ME! ME! ME!

Self-centered bullshit.

You're absolutely right. There is something wrong with that picture.

[Canuckistanian]

120. Raise holy hell with your insurance company

You pay big bucks for EXACTLY times like these.

It's too bad that YOU can't call a collection agency on THEM when they're late responding.

[Dappleganger]

122. I'm sorry it happened...

and am relieved that you're ok. Nothing like a violation of your personal space to throw you upside down for awhile.

Do you have a dog (something bigger than a cat)? Sometimes that scares them off. We live in FL and have the obligatory alarm system. It's just one of those things that's automatically installed in homes these days. My advice would be: be mad but don't take it personal, put an alert on all your accounts/credit report, replace your locks with some solid deadbolts (or windows).

[howaboutme]

123. Never Forget

That there were multiple Presidents, Congress, corporations and Wall St rich that made China great, while creating this so-called USA poor and "transient trash". But in the interest of self preservation that is beyond your control in today's cut throat world, it is reckless endangerment to your family not being equipped and armed.

When I look at every Congress and every President from Reagan on, they truly disgust me because they intentionally sold out the USA for their rich Wall street buddies with a mission of breaking unions. NAFTA and GATT didn't help Americans, it screwed us and Bill Clinton could have vetoed it.
http://www.nolanchart.com/article368.html

Only when unions are back as a significant power will the Democratic Party be back representing working Americans. That's my belief.

[awoke_in_2003]

126. Sorry to hear this...

but could you please define "transient trash" for me?

[applegrove]

129. vibes.

[L0oniX]

131. ...and people wonder why I carry a gun and have ADT in my home.

[awoke_in_2003]

135. still no answer on "transient trash"?

You know, your house was probably broken into by a drug addict or one of your "neighbors". I hope you weren't insinuating homeless people.

[JanMichael]

149. I have stayed off this thread because I got lambasted

by "democrats" who do not want to discuss the bigger issues-

I think this thread should be moved to the lounge; all the poster wants is warm fuzzies (understandably) from other DUers.

[woo me with science]

164. You were deservedly shamed,

and despite overwhelming feedback, you continue to embarrass yourself here.

Your "bigger issues" are garbage coming out of your own privileged head. You know nothing about who did this, except that they broke into someone's home, ransacked it, and terrified the occupants. Nobody deserving of sympathy does such a thing. They are trash, and when you suggest, ludicrously, that you are raising "bigger issues," and that these are merely down on their luck "countrymen," you insult all poor people who DON'T engage in such reprehensible acts. How dare you try to lump the poor in with and create pity for garbage like this. Keep trying to defend the indefensible. Your disgusting responses received a clear and merited response, and then you compound the shamefulness by breaking DU rules and accusing those who disagree with you of being Freepers. you were right to stay away as long as you did.

[msanthrope]

182. I can't top that, but I will make a note--I am disgusted by those on this board

who would defend criminals who harm others.

As someone who works with people who are, actually, screwed by the justice system, I say that people who steal and rob, and cause psychological harm to others are on par with those who commit more "hands-on" offenses.

These criminals--and they are criminals--don't need to be romanticized by those whose means keep them from truly experiencing the effects of crime.

[Codeine]

187. Holy crap, that was a blistering and perfect response!

:applause: You rule.

[Name removed]

181. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Sheepshank]

195. Maybe if you'd read the thread? Already asked and answered several times n/t

[bobbolink]

136. I'm homeless.. you wanna call me "transient trash" to my face?

[Name removed]

183. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[TK421]

138. Sorry to hear about this...most important thing was nobody was hurt

I only ask this out of curiosity, but what state is this?

[NNN0LHI]

144. If they got past your "watch dogs" you probably know them and they have been over before

That is where I would start. "Friends" or family would be my guess.

Don

[Roon]

147. That is why I simplified..

there is absolutely nothing of value in my apartment,even my computer is an old, desktop clunker. I don't have to carry insurance and I don't have to worry about getting ripped off. It's great!

[pipi_k]

152. Oh, you would be surprised...

The time my apartment got robbed, I didn't have much either.

What these people took...a crappy old toaster, and an old console combination stereo record player and AM/FM radio.

Probably a few other things as well, though I can't remember what since it was in 1975.


People will steal just about anything..

[babydollhead]

159. If someone robs me

the rule is that they have to take everything. every fucking thing. all of it. I am sorry this happened to you. It's creepy to have had someone else in your own home!

[pipi_k]

165. Yeah, there's this whole creep factor....

I mean, I'm not even crazy about people I know being in my house...like visitors. I always feel (initially) like I'm being "invaded". That feeling does pass after awhile but it happens every time.

Having strangers in my home...ugh. Just doesn't feel good at all.




Oh, and I like your rule about burglars taking all of your stuff. Do you have notes posted around the house? :7

[Name removed]

166. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[TK421]

169. By tweeker, do you mean meth-heads? or just drug addicts in general?

I've heard this term before...just want to make sure I got this right

[backscatter712]

171. Yeah, my understanding is tweekers==meth-heads.

Meth in particular is a nasty drug.

[TK421]

172. I thought it was....thanks for the clarification on that

[Rebubula]

197. Awesome...

...so if someone steals, it is your hope that they will get gangraped and beaten in prison for the rest of their life??

Interesting proportional response.

[Vehl]

167. I'm sorry to hear this

Its a damn shame that stuff like this happen nowadays :(
glad to hear that you guys are safe

[TK421]

168. For those of you who have issues understanding the term "transient"

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/transient

stating that: one who stays in a place for a brief time or someone who moves about frequently NOT staying in one place for an extended time.....it's NOT a frigging homeless person, so will you people frigging stop that!!!

Now...I've lived in Florida for four years ( still trying to forget about it, but that's another story ) and the term "transient" could be applied to many...MANY people there, especially the area I've lived in ( around Ft.Myers area ) There were many transients who came from all across the country ( lots of people from Ohio, New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut etc ) but I think ( I hope ) you get the idea now

Where this thread took a turn bashing the homeless, I haven't a damn clue, but I just thought I would add the definition of the word here in the hopes that this wouldn't be repeated

Again to the OP, I'm sorry this happened...you have every right to be pissed off at the people who did this, as anyone with a sane mind would be.

[backscatter712]

173. In my experience, there are multiple types of "transients" or "homeless"

In shelters, they refer the the types as "have-nots", "can-nots" and "will-nots".

The "have-nots" are just regular folks who've had a run of bad luck - they can't find a job, they got foreclosed upon or evicted, their social network couldn't help them out enough. They're easy enough to help out - get them some clothes, a safe place to stay, some food, some pointers at some work, and they're back on their feet relatively quickly.

The "can-nots" are people who for one reason or another can't make a living like most people can. Maybe they're disabled, or they're mentally ill. They too can be helped - some of them can get on Medicare/Medicaid/SSI. There's a lot of hoops to jump through, and they'll need help in the meantime, but they don't have to be homeless. Some of them are mentally ill who can get set back on their feet, gainfully employed and supporting themselves with the right medication and therapy.

Then there are the "will-nots". These are also known as scumbags. Grifters, hustlers, thieves, ex-cons, sociopaths. They don't want to work. They want to make their living by taking from others. Best thing to do is inflict law-enforcement upon them. These are the types I was ranting about earlier.

[TK421]

174. From your post, I'm guessing your putting transients into all these descriptions?

Transients are just that, and the very definition of what I have been told they were, or experienced what they were ( hence that post )

The lumping in of that type of person with the homeless is not accurate...I get what you are saying, but the two are totally different in this regard

The transient person who would otherwise make a living off of breaking into others homes and stealing their property won't be around for long...they move on..to another area, to do the same thing IF that is their M.O

I was, however referring to the confusion associating these criminals with just being homeless people who go on some stealing rampage or whatever

[Liquorice]

178. I hope they catch the person/people who did it. It will make you feel a little better if the

thief gets his due. My mom's house was robbed and the crack head who did it got caught within a week or two. He spent over a year in state prison for it. We were VERY glad he got caught and went to prison. The cops may even find some of the things that were stolen and return them. My advice is to call the police officer who is handling your case every day and make sure you bother the hell out of him/her about solving the crime. They get busy and you have to make a lot of noise sometimes to get the attention put on your case.

[Joanne98]

180. Capitalism causes crime.

[pipi_k]

184. Probably....look at what it's done

to this poor little fellow....


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kqy9hxhUxK0

[Codeine]

188. Good thing nobody ever stole in a non-capitalist society. nt

[msanthrope]

193. DUZY!!! No, wait, you're serious, aren't you? n/t

[valerief]

214. Capitalism IS crime. nt

[Warren DeMontague]

216. So give away all your stuff.

Now.

[raccoon]

185. Where do you live? (I know that this happens everywhere.) Just curious. nt

[old mark]

186. Some thoughts on your trouble: First, be happy no one was home at the time...

Second, the police often act like thay are hopelessly overwhelmed-truth is, they seldom bother to do anything about these burglaries except take your statement and file a report with the insurance company when the company asks for one.
Third-they probably have some idea who it was, but could never prove it...they will let these guys go on till either they seriously hurt someone or someone catches them in the act and shoots them.

This happened to me in the past, and the feeling of violation in your own home is terrible. The problem is that they may come back after a little time to see if you got new stuff they can sell for their drug money, and some of them can become violent if they are confronted. I strongly urge you to arm yourself and get prepared to defend your home and family-the police won't, and I would NEVER rely on the good graces/mercy/judgement of some scum burglar when it comes to the lives of my family.

I worked in a prison and with former prisoners as a counsellor and social worker and I have a shotgun next to my bed every night.

mark

[pipi_k]

192. My home broken into as well, 35 years ago, and

the feeling of violation never really goes away. It does fade, but after all this time it's still there.


Then, in 1994, my purse was stolen from work.

That, for me, was even scarier, since the person(s) who took it also had my address...the keys to my home and vehicle...my license...

It was awful. I felt like I had been robbed of everything...including my identity. And then there was the fear that my own keys might be used to gain access to my home (an apartment at the time).


That there are actually individuals in this thread virtually defending scumdog thieves is disgusting to me. I would say they have probably never been victims of theft and don't know shit about the psychological effects of having been robbed, and how those issues can haunt someone even years later.


Oh, and Mr Pip served as a cop for some years in a nearby city, over 30 years ago. He never cared all that much about the threats some criminals made against him, but he did care very much when some of them threatened to rape and kill his wife at the time and their small children.

We have guns in our home. Including, like you, a shotgun.

The fear never stops.

[old mark]

198. For some reason, people feel that the burglars are Robin Hoods of a sort,

desparate to put food on their children's table...I have worked with this type of person in and out of prison and have never found one like that-it was always about drugs or one kind or another, and the bad guys would have very easily become violent, if just to keep from being ID'd.
My wife and I worked with juvenile drug addicts many years ago, and we got similar threats from them and their friends. My wife was raised anti-gun, but we were living on an isolated farm at the time, and I bought a used revolver and taught her to shoot it.

We both worked with potentially dangerous people over nearly 20 years, and I would not want to be at the mercy of any of them-my wife is disabled, and we are both older.


mark

[Warren DeMontague]

217. I like the people with the fantasy that they're living in Les Miserables or something.

"the poor, misbegotten wretch... I'm going to offer him a plate of silver" ...:eyes:

Living in a fucking bubble.

[Sheepshank]

194. I am so very sorry

You 'appear' quite numb yet. That someone feels they have the right to just take what you have worked so hard for, and destroy the rest....... well some people raised kids to feel that everyone elses stuff if just there for the taking. I'm remember the anger, it's was pretty brutal.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

196. I'm sorry for your troubles, sixmile.

What we need is a final solution to the transient problem. I've personally dug a large, deep ditch around my property, and set large cauldrons of hot oil at the tops of all my gates. If those unwashed masses should dare to show their inferior, pox-ridden faces around here, they'll surely get their comeuppance, what what.

[sixmile]

222. I can't believe this thread is still alive (OP)

I posted the OP because I consider DU a safe place; a place to vent and share life experiences with like minded folks.

I'm not going to defend my bonafides as a Democrat or a Progressive to the nomenclature police in this thread but I will attempt to clarify ONE point:

'Transient Trash' does NOT mean the homeless, it also does not mean black, or Travelers, or spanish, or Roma, or meth heads, or whites...

It means assholes who can't get along anywhere, who move place to place and spread mayhem and crime in their wake.

If you lived in my part of the country where criminals from every part of the world function with little to no resistance you too would be familiar with these types of people and could understand why I used the term.

They have the rights to be assholes, to move around, and to not get along, but they do not have the right to commit a crime against me or my family.

There are a few on this board who are seeming guilty about something to put the victim of a crime on the defensive and force them to define unseemly words or phrases.

I hope this enlightens you. Let this thread sink into obscurity, and don't worry, my family and I are doing fine.

Thanks to all who gave kind words.