You do not see the lathi in America much. Beautiful to see this sort of exchange of cultures. We have much to learn from each other.
On the other hand, though, this could be his first offence, in which case I’m not sure how incarceration is supposed to have prevented this, other than some dystopian Minority Report situation. And taking a broader view, I’m sure I don’t have to spell out the destructive effects that mass incarceration has had on many black communities in the US.
Wheeling in a 20-gallon bin and brazenly emptying the shelves is the typical modus operandi of a first offender, yes. I support alternatives to incarceration and I'm glad that, in this case, there was a social worker on hand to intervene and provide this man with the help and support he deserved.
