WaPo's Maura Judkis shredded as she says shoplifting isn't a big deal because US was 'built on stolen land'

WASHINGTON, DC: A Washington Post article published a few days ago seeking to downplay concerns over increased shoplifting and theft has sparked intense backlash online.

In the provocatively-titled piece, "The zombie CVS, a late-capitalism horror story," features reporter Maura Judkis focused on a Washington DC CVS picked clean by thieves and looters to the point where it was forced to close, as per the New York Post.

Rather than condemning the rampant petty crimes plaguing businesses nationally, Judkis characterized the reactions to these offenses as a conservative-fueled "moral panic."

She reportedly even went on to imply that contemporary shoplifting in America shouldn't be a huge deal due to ancestral guilt over "stolen land" and colonization.

Washington Post's Maura Judkis ties shoplifting to ancestral guilt over 'stolen land'

Judkis opens the article by writing, "There is almost nothing left to steal at the CVS in Columbia Heights, and that gives you an idea of which items have actual value." 

She goes on to state examples like blank CDs, seldom-read magazines, and "three gallon-sized jugs of Arizona green tea." 

Then, the reporter dramatically added, "Everything else that remains in the store in Northwest D.C., which is not much, is under plexiglass: Dawn dish soap, L’Oreal shampoo, MiraLax, a handful of Clairol root touch-up hair dye kits, flu season combo packs of DayQuil and NyQuil."

"The diapers are behind the counter. The Cetaphil and Neutrogena face washes are under lock and key. Other shelves, stretching entire aisles, are totally empty," continued Judkis. 

Calling the condition of the "empty CVS" a "horror story of Late Capitalism," she argued that the current concerns surrounding shoplifting were nothing but "moral panic." The reporter prefaced it by describing America as a "sticky-fingered nation built on stolen land."

Judkis went on to claim that fears over the rise in shoplifting are overblown, dubbing the available data "murky" and declaring that "anecdotes and vibes have filled in the gaps."

"While it’s true that the Columbia Heights CVS, as well as parts of the surrounding neighborhood, are experiencing crime and theft, it’s hardly the dystopian nightmare that outsiders make it out to be," further wrote the journalist. 

Maura Judkis lists complex societal factors contributing to the rise in retail theft

In the article, Judkis touched on societal factors that may be contributing to the rising retail theft rate. Citing Washington DC’s Advisory Neighborhood Commission Carlo Perri, she pointed to "economic factors triggering human need" like "joblessness, inflation, and a slow recovery from the pandemic."

Changes to local policing procedures were also mentioned as a potential factor. Judkis also noted that CVS policy itself, which employs security guards but prohibits them from pursuing or stopping shoplifters, may enable more petty thefts. 

She went on to slam conservatives for spreading the "wild narrative" of cities being "terrifying hellholes of crime, theft, and lawlessness," while mentioning former President Donald Trump's ability to run for office despite committing supposed financial crimes. 

Judkins ended her article by pulling readers' attention toward the employees of the shuttered Columbia Heights CVS who were affected the most due to the thefts, dubbing them "the brain" of the zombie operation. 

Maura Judkis faces backlash following the release of her article

After Judkis' article was published, the Internet erupted with swift condemnation.

One succinctly expressed, "Fire her." Another remarked, "Send a squatter to her house." 

"Something tells me if her apartment built on 'stolen land' were burglarized, she'd flip out, and file a police report," speculated a person. 

Someone else expressed, "An absurd justification doesn't make what is wrong right. It's apparent that propaganda such as this is very irresponsible and only works to increase crime. Apparently, the lamestream media goals are geared towards moral erosion and chaos."

"Says the first person who would call the police if someone stole her stuff," said an individual. 

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.