# Scumbag ransacks home of family killed in car crash **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 2, 2009, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scumbag-ransacks-home-of-family-killed-in-car-crash/519660 "2009-12-02T02:48:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2009, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scumbag-ransacks-home-of-family-killed-in-car-crash/519660/61 "2009-12-05T11:52:10Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > So what? I still don’t see how that makes it worse. I judge levels of evil by how much it hurts other people. This did not hurt other people any more than any other burglary. it’s not any better either. I think burglars are scum too, I just think that burgling from the living is every bit as bad as burgling from the dead, and arguably, marginally worse. Is there anything you don’t have an opinion on? ---
**Author:** ![zweisamkeit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zweisamkeit/32/4360_2.png) [@zweisamkeit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zweisamkeit)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2009, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scumbag-ransacks-home-of-family-killed-in-car-crash/519660/62 "2009-12-05T17:58:03Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > So what? I still don’t see how that makes it worse. I judge levels of evil by how much it hurts other people. This did not hurt other people any more than any other burglary. it’s not any better either. I think burglars are scum too, I just think that burgling from the living is every bit as bad as burgling from the dead, and arguably, marginally worse. And others put weight on the actual intent of the person doing the crime. Since these guys only robbed the house when they knew the family was dead, that’s more disgusting than if they just robbed any old house because they’re robbers. To me, part of it is almost, “so, you wouldn’t have had the balls to rob their house if they might have been there, but since you _knew_ you’d have less trouble, you went right ahead?” It’s cowardly and scummy; _moreso_ than just being a regular scum-bag. If that doesn’t factor into your ‘levels of evil’, so what? Others have different opinions. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2009, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scumbag-ransacks-home-of-family-killed-in-car-crash/519660/63 "2009-12-05T21:10:41Z")
Why should that factor in? How does that hurt anybody more than a normal burglary? ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2009, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scumbag-ransacks-home-of-family-killed-in-car-crash/519660/64 "2009-12-05T21:17:28Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > Why should that factor in? How does that hurt anybody more than a normal burglary? I have no dog in this fight. However, I will point out that **zweisamkeit** specifically mentioned intent as the major consideration here, not degree of harm caused. Some people consider intent to make a crime more or less egregious, as for example the different degrees of homicide, vs. manslaughter or whatever. (I’m not a lawyer. I just watch Law & Order sometimes.) Maybe you don’t consider intent to make the crime any different, which is fine, but there are people who do, and for them, taking advantage of a tragedy is worse than taking advantage of some people on vacation, or whatever. Personally speaking, I think the thieves were dicks by virtue of being thieves. The fact that they stole from dead people does not make them more dickish than they already were. That’s just my opinion, however. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2009, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scumbag-ransacks-home-of-family-killed-in-car-crash/519660/65 "2009-12-05T21:25:38Z")
That’s all I’m saying too. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scumbag-ransacks-home-of-family-killed-in-car-crash/519660.md?page=3)