Jailing Shoplifters Is Punishing People for Having a 'Biological Need', Progressive Lawmaker Claims
Gallagher said shoplifting often reflects poverty and basic needs, while critics said theft drives empty shelves and higher costs for other shoppers.
- New York Assemblywoman Emily Gallagher recently claimed outside the Manhattan Criminal Court that stealing basic items like toothpaste and soap constitutes 'crimes of poverty,' arguing individuals steal because they have a 'biological need.'
- Gallagher, who represents Greenpoint and sections of Brooklyn, asserted that society protects billion-dollar companies like CVS and Walgreens over struggling people, characterizing wealth disparity as the 'true crime' behind these thefts.
- Anyone who has visited urban drug stores recently knows that frequent property crimes result in empty shelves and locked cabinets, imposing costs on the public rather than serving as a natural right.
- Legitimate arguments exist regarding overpolicing and prison conditions, yet critics warn against defending theft as a natural right, emphasizing that addressing criminal justice policy requires nuanced debate rather than grandstanding.
- Although this represents a small, fringe faction, the rhetoric complicates broader criminal justice reform efforts, illustrating a trend where some progressive provocateurs appear to be objectively pro-theft.
19 Articles
19 Articles
‘Rights of thieves’: State lawmaker insists stealing for ‘biological’ need shouldn’t be illegal * WorldNetDaily * by Bob Unruh
Source link Emily Gallagher Some stealing is bad, apparently. Other stealing is good. That’s the verdict from Emily Gallagher, a Democratic Socialist who is in the New York state assembly. “Most of what we saw were crimes of poverty-people who are stealing things like toothpaste, people who were stealing things like, you know, soap. And that means if
MichaelSavage.com – New York Assemblywoman Says Stealing Toothpaste and Soap Is a ‘Biological Need’
Socialist New York Assemblywoman Emily Gallagher has argued that people who steal basic products such as toothpaste and soap are driven by “biological need” and should not be thrown in jail. Gallagher, a Brooklyn Democrat and member of the Democratic Socialists of America, made the remarks Thursday during a press conference outside Manhattan Criminal Court.…
New York Democratic Socialist Lawmaker Emily Gallagher Asserts Stealing for ‘Biological Need’ Should Not Be Illegal
Democratic Socialist New York State Assemblywoman Emily Gallagher thinks that people should be allowed to steal for a "biological need." In other words, she wants to legalize theft which will cause businesses to shutter and move out of NYC while crime skyrockets even further.
New York Assemblywoman Says Stealing Toothpaste and Soap Is a ‘Biological Need’ * The Gateway Pundit * by Ben Kew
Socialist New York Assemblywoman Emily Gallagher has argued that people who steal basic products such as toothpaste and soap are driven by “biological need” and should not be thrown in jail. The post New York Assemblywoman Says Stealing Toothpaste and Soap Is a ‘Biological Need’ appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
NY socialist assemblywoman: Stealing for ‘biological need’ should not be a crime
by WorldTribune Staff / 247 Real News August 16, 2026 New York state Assemblywoman Emily Gallagher, a self-proclaimed “democratic socialist,” contends that shoplifters who steal for “biological need” should not be charged with a crime. In comments on Thursday outside Manhattan Criminal Court, Gallagher said: “Most of what we saw were crimes of poverty-people who […]
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