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w at er lo oc hr on ic le .c a W at er lo o C hr on ic le | T hu rs da y, Ju ly 5, 20 18 | 20 JULY 13-29 | 2018 FEATURING: The Elora Singers, Chantal Kreviazuk, Isabel Bayrakdarian, Rolston Quartet, Louise Pitre, Gesualdo Six, Bénédicte Lauzière, Sultans of String ... and much more! Discover 3Weeks of World-Class Artists andMusic in Beautiful Elora! Making a splash on stage this summer! July 18 - Aug 4 St. Jacobs Country PlayhouseLyrics byHoward Ashman&Glenn SlaterMusic by AlanMenken Book byDougWright Based on the Hans Christian Andersen Story and the Disney Film produced by Howard Ashman& JohnMusker Written & Directed by JohnMusker and Ron Clements Originally produced by Disney Theatrical Productions Featuring the hit songs "Part of Your World," "Kiss The Girl," and "Under the Sea," Disney's The Little Mermaid is a splashy Broadway spectacle packed with family fun. The Drayton Entertainment production of 1-855-drayton (372-9866) or buy online 24/7 at draytonentertainment.com/little-mermaid Last week a member of our community entered St. John's Kitchen distraught. He had been shopping the previous evening and bought two bags full of gro- ceries. But when he left the store, his parcels beeped and he was stopped by the staff and security. As it turned out, there was one item that hadn't been paid for. He tried to explain that it was a mistake, an over- sight but staff didn't be- lieve him. The police were called and he was charged. As he told my col- leagues and me we shook our heads knowing that if it happened to any of us, we would likely be believed. But the staff and police were quick to judge our friend. It's important to know that not everyone who comes to St. John's Kitchen is homeless, but those who are housed live precarious- ly. This man's hold on his apartment, on his son and on his stability is thread thin. Every dollar, every decision, every action has to be well thought out since one wrong step and it all can be pulled out from un- der him in a moment. And certainly, this situ- ation is enough to do just that. He agreed to the writ- ing of this column. I believe him, of course, because I know how easily this could happen to me, to any of us, but I also want to say ... so what if it's true or not. People need to eat. Would any of us be- grudge a person who steals to feed their family? I just recently watched The Pur- suit of Happyness. You can- not watch that based-on-a- true-story movie without feeling deep empathy for the depressing socio-eco- nomic situation faced by the main character, a sin- gle father, and his son. It's a story that has been told for centuries: Les Miserables, Oliver Twist, Angela's Ash- es, Grapes of Wrath. Some years ago there was a sermon reprinted in Harper's Magazine that caught my eye and resonat- ed with me; an article I have felt compelled to share with friends and col- leagues. It was called Des- peration Theology, a ser- mon of all things - so rare to see a reprint of a sermon - written by Rev. Tim Jones, who focused his attention to the hardships faced when people are released from prison. In the face of obstacles and in desperate need Rev. Jones's advice to the per- son without money or means is to shoplift not from little family business- es who will feel the pinch but from large corpora- tions and thereby the costs will ultimately be covered by the rest of society who can afford to pay when prices are raised. He doesn't offer this advice lightly, but reminds people that it is a "grim indictment of who we are" when shop- lifting is the best advice one can give. It remains our civic and moral responsibility to re- flect on how we treat the most vulnerable people in our community when they have been caught shoplift- ing and when they have been misjudged by their rough edges and handed harsh punishment that may be based on a false pre- sumption. - Leslie Morgenson is a local writer. She can be reached by email atleslie- morgenson@gmail.com. OPINION We have a moral responsibility to our most vulnerable people A common theme is good literature is how we treat each other, says Leslie Morgenson LESLIE MORGENSON Column