Is Crime Unacceptable?

I wrote here about the devastating impact of organized crime on America’s retailers. Which means, of course, the impact of organized crime on American consumers–all of us.

Now another retailer has spoken up.

Nordstrom CEO Erik Nordstrom slammed the brazen bandits who recently ransacked a Los Angeles-area outpost — swiping $100,000 worth of merchandise — as the upscale retailer announced it has suffered “historical losses” from shoplifters.

These are organized gangs of thieves who steal enormous quantities of merchandise and sell it online. The profits they are making are astonishing.

Dozens of shoplifters wearing hoodies and masks descended on a Nordstrom in Topanga on Aug. 12. The shocking surveillance video showed the robbers attack security guards with bear spray before running out of the store with the luxury goods.

“Certainly, what happened in our Topanga store is disturbing to all of us,” Nordstrom said.

Well, yeah. These incidents call into question the ability of our civilization to survive.

So what are we going to do about it?

Nordstrom said the department store has been experiencing “historical highs” in losses from shoplifting during an earnings call Thursday — echoing complaints recently made by other major retailers including Dick’s Sporting Goods, Ulta Beauty and Target.

“I’d say we find it unacceptable and [it] needs to be addressed,” Nordstrom told investors after the retailer reported an 8.3% drop in sales in the second quarter ending July 29.

Unacceptable? I would say that as a society, we are doing a pretty good job of accepting it. And a major reason is that corporate America has gone woke. Target has reported vast losses from organized crime, yet that company is one of America’s wokest. Target has signed on with all of the craziness of the contemporary Left, which among other things disdains law enforcement. And Dick’s, another victim of mass organized crime, has also gone woke. A few years ago, it stopped selling firearms and, as I recall, issued a press release that proudly announced, in effect, its conversion to the Left.

One might ask, where are liberals when these retailers who have sworn allegiance to the Left need their help in dealing with billions of dollars in losses to organized crime? Liberals are on the other side, obviously. But better we should ask, what are these retailers doing to defend themselves? Are they standing up for law enforcement? Are they supporting politicians who defend law enforcement? Are they lobbying for stiffer criminal penalties for organized shoplifting rings? Are they doing anything to defend and uphold a culture that disapproves of theft? Or are they going along with trendy liberal dogmas that undermine the rule of law?

I think we all know the answers to those questions. If America’s retailers are actually concerned about losing billions of dollars to organized crime, they should do something about it.