Utopia book#1

Book #1 begins as a letter to Peter Giles about the possibility of having a society in unison and not under the King's rule. Thomas More, explains in this "letter" that for examples thieves are getting punished the same punishment as the murderers. Which of course is ultimately death. How is that fair? Alot of the people were stealing for their families because they didn't have any money to feed them. How does that warrant death? I understand the idea that he is trying to convey that for more than just this one reason, living up under monarch ship is just not fair. One ruler, one set of rule, and the people's voices are not being heard. I mean by killing these people how are you solving anything? There is a fear set up within the others one who were so lucky not to get caught, but where there is a will there is a way and most people will do whatever they need to do to survive. I totally agree with More that you should put these criminals back into the community to make them work their debts off. It is always easier to convict somebody and code men them, than it is to accept their faults and make things better for that person in trouble by helping them. More wanted the thieves and such to basically go back and do community service, let them work of their crimes. That benefits everyone because the condemned are learning a new trade, possibly, learning from their mistakes, the community is being attended to and it all evens out. I work for NOAA Marine Sanctuaries and Fisheries and I look at some of the fines that people received for like the smallest thing like maybe going 1 pound over the fisheries guidelines for a type of fish and then these poor people are getting fined like they killed a right whale (which you can go to prison for so don't do it! Even by accident you will still get in a lot of trouble.) Why cant you find alternate solutions than such steep fines? Why cant you find alternate solutions other than death to punish a crime? I am really feeling Thomas More on this one