By JACK GODBEY

Community columnist

With the holiday season upon us, retailers are waiting in line to get a piece of our paycheck. With the technology today, we can order a pair of pajamas in the morning and have them delivered to our door before time to go to bed that night. 

Packages sitting at our door are often too much temptation for some as they steal packages in broad daylight off people’s front porch. With all the doorbell cameras and gun ownership in this area, I am amazed at the stupidity of these porch pirates. 

After spending almost two decades working in law enforcement, I am no stranger to the criminal element and honestly, it would take a lot to shock me as to what some people are capable of doing. 

One of the few things that I actually enjoy about the holiday season is that it gets many people thinking of ways to give back. Many donate to charities or perform some act of random kindness in the spirit of the holiday. We make sure that everyone has a hot meal and that the children receive a toy. I wish that we could keep this spirit going throughout the other 11 months of the year as the need doesn’t go away once the holidays have passed. 

So many times, criminals take advantage of the giving spirit of the holidays and of hard working people. It’s no secret what the cost of crime is upon our society. A large portion of your tax dollars have to be spent investigating, adjudicating, and enforcing the punishment of crime. However, have you ever stopped to consider the daily aggravation that we endure because some people won’t follow the law?  

We have big consequences such as the hassle we have to go through at the airport. We are checked and frisked and every item in our suitcases are examined for possible weapons. All we want to do is go see Uncle Joe in Florida but everyone has to be checked because others before us broke the law. 

Just trying to open a bank account has become a huge ordeal as well. I was in a situation once where I lost my wallet and was trying to get a new Social Security card and a new driver’s license. The driver’s license office said I couldn’t get a copy without showing my Social Security card. I went to the Social Security office and was told I couldn’t get one without showing my driver’s license. I was starting to get dizzy from going around in circles.  

So why did I have to go through this aggravation? It was because someone before me didn’t follow the law. 

When was the last time you tried to open a bottle of medicine and thought you would have to rent a jackhammer to get the childproof cap off? Again, the result of someone breaking the law that ruined it for the rest of us. Every time I go over a speed bump, I am reminded of the effects of crime. Because someone doesn’t have the common sense to follow the law and slow down while in the parking lot, it forces the rest of us to be subjected to being jostled around every time we try to go shopping. 

If you find yourself sitting on Santa’s lap this season be wary of your wallet because he may be in the mind frame of taking instead of giving. 

Jack Godbey is a resident of Danville and is a published author. Wizardman66@live.com