Najla  Latifa  

Helmy  Purnama    

Thrusday  5th  July  2012  

Argumentative  Essay  

Young  Thieves.  

There   are   many   people   that   don’t   have   enough   money   to   live   their   life.  

What’s  the  reason  behind  all  of  it?  Jakarta.  Well,  it’s  a  big  city  isn’t  it?  It  is.  Many  

said   that   Jakarta   is   a   good   and   educational   city.   But   there   are   some   areas   that  

don’t   have   that   situation.   Senen,   that’s   located   in   Central   Jakarta.   There   are  

people   that   should   beg   other   people   for   get   some  money.   Have   you   ever   seen  

some   thieves?  How   about   young   thieves?  Why  with   those   people?  Why  would  

they  do  that?  Low  income,  low  education  and  unemployment  could  be  the  reason  

behind  all  of  these  situations.  

Have  young  people  worked  yet?  Yes  they  have.  Some  may  have  and  some  

may   have   not.  What   are   their   jobs?   Begging   to   other   people,   porters,   and   the  

other.  How  much  do  they  get  per  day?  It’s  only  around  5.000  –  10.000  if  they  beg  

other  people.  They  are  still  young,  so  that  they  couldn’t  work  that  much.  What’s  

the   impact   because   all   of   this?   They   get   low   incomes.   After   they   have   their  

revenue,   they  will   not   feel   satisfy.   They   are   still   young,   they  want   to   get  what  

they  want  not  what  they  need.  For  example,  when  their  friends  have  something  

that  they  don’t  have  and  then  they  want  it,  they  will  try  to  get  a  way  so  that  they  

 

will  get  that  something.  Why  don’t  they  just  search  for  jobs?  Why?  They  are  still  

young.  Young  people  could  work  but  not  the  hard  and  difficult  ones.    

After  they  found  a  way,  they  will  do  it.  They  would  do  anything  for  getting  

money.  Maybe  they  have  tried  to  suffer  but  in  the  long  run,  they  couldn’t  resist  it.  

Maybe  they  try  to  get  the  money  by  do  stealing.  Who  know?  The  data  says  that  

some  of   them  are   just   like   that.  When  they  see   the  people   that   they  think  have  

enough  wealth,   they’ll   try   to  steal   their  belongings.  Not  all   their  belongings  but  

only   the   valuable   stuff   they’ll   take.   From   the   data,   many   said   that   they   steal  

without  doing  that  murdering  action,  but  only  by  the  silence  stealing.    

They  don’t  mean  to  do  that  action,  but  what  else  could  they  do?  They  don’t  

have  other  options  and  choices.  What’s  great   from  them  is  that,   they  always  be  

happy  with  the  situation  like  that.  But  deep  inside  their  heart,  they  really  want  to  

be  like  us.  They  want  to  live  their  life  with  happiness,  just  like  the  other  people  

that   could   eat   3   times   per   day.   They’re   not   necessarily   eating   3   times   a   day.  

When   they   eat,   they   could   only   eat  with   tofu   and   some   rice.   They   eat   so   little  

because   they   should   divide   it.   They   should   share   it   with   the   other   family  

members  or  maybe  their  friends.  The  portion  is  so  little  plus  they  should  share  it.  

It  is  poor  and  so  sad  if  we  have  that  situation  in  our  life.  But  what  else  could  they  

do  if  they  don’t  know  what  should  they  do  and  they  don’t  know  which  attitudes  

should  they  use  to  get  some  money?  

Education   is   very   important   in  our,   is   it?  But,   how  about   them   that  don’t  

have  enough  money  for  school?  They  just  stay  at  home,  not  doing  anything.  Their  

attitude  could  be  based  on  how  they’ve  treated  at  home.  If  they  go  to  school,  they  

will  know  about  what’s  the  right  or  wrong  thing.  They  don’t  know  which  one  is  

the  right  or  wrong.  They  don’t  know  that  it  is  wrong  to  steal  other  people’s  stuff.  

They  don’t  have  other  options  so   that   they  do   it  over  and  over  again.  The  data  

said  that  those  children  really  want  to  go  to  school.  But  it  is  the  fact.  They  want  to  

go  to  school.  Get  more  knowledge.  Elaborate  information.  They  want  to  study  as  

well  so  that  they  will  have  a  future.  In  Senen  Slum  Area,  there  are  many  children  

that   don’t   go   to   school.   They   said   “It   is   fine”,   “It   is   okay”   but   the   truth   is   that  

they’re  not  okay.   If  you  see  them,  you  can  tell  with  their  eyes.  There  is  sadness  

behind  all  of  it.  Some  may  go  to  school,  and  some  may  not  go.    

Young  pickpockets  or  maybe  young  thieves  are  not  always  wrong.  They  do  

that  action  because  they  don’t  know  either  is  wrong  or  it  is  right.  Maybe  in  their  

family,  it’s  like  a  common  habit.  There  are  the  children  that  go  to  school  but  still,  

they   got   influenced   from   their   environment.   From   the   data,   the   environment  

affects  the  people  there.  Once  someone  steal,  the  other  want  to  do  it  either.  Why?  

Because   they   feel   like   if   someone  has   it,   they  should  have   it   either.  Maybe   it   is  

their  perspective.    

Is  ‘Unemployment’  word  seems  familiar?  It  is  very  familiar  for  the  people  in  

the  Senen  Slum  Area.  Many  parents  of  the  children  there  is  unemployed.  That’s  

causing   those   parents   send   their   child   to   do   pickpocketing   or   stealing   other  

people’s   stuff  and   thing.  Not  only   the  old   residents,   the  young  residents  earn  a  

living  by  collecting  plastics  waste  to  sell,  or  hawking  small  items  from  the  carts.  

They  don’t  want  to  be  like  this  but  what  else  could  they  do?  That’s  because  the  

parents   is   lazy.  Why  don’t   they   just   try   to  search   for  other   jobs  of   the  different  

ones?   So,   they   will   not   be   unemployed.   When   they’re   working   and   not  

unemployed,   they   could   maintain   their   family.   They   could   send   their   kids   to  

school   and   their   kids   will   be   educated   in   the   school.   After   the   kids   got   some  

education,   that  area  will  be  developed  nicely.  With  many  nice  and  kind  people,  

that  area  will  have  a  great  and  unexpected  progress.    

Young   thieves  keep  on   increasing.  Why  with   that  problem?  As  you  know,  

young  people  love  to  have  what  they  want,  but  not  what  they  need.  They’re  easy  

to   get   influence   by   the   other.  Once   the   other   people   try   to   steal   or   pickpocket  

other  person,  the  others  will  try  to  do  that.  This  case  already  spread  out  into  the  

other   areas.   Because   of   the   dirtiness   in   Jakarta,  many   people   already   feel   lazy  

and  they  don’t  want  to  do  some  works  or  either  search  for  some  jobs.  There  are  

many  houses   that   are   located  beside   the   train   railway.  The   train  passes  only  a  

few   feet   from  a  canvas  shelter.  Have  you  ever  wondered   that  how  do   they   feel  

when  the  train  passed  by?  Do  they  feel  scared  or  just  normal?    

Time  goes  by,  there  are  many  young  thieves.  It  is  still  increasing  in  Jakarta.  

Low  education,  unemployment,   and   low   income  made   it.   The  environment  has  

made  them  to  be  lazy.  Look  at  the  environment,  it  is  dirty  and  not  all  the  people  

would  like  to  clean  up  their  area.  It  is  because  their  character  has  been  made  of  

their  laziness.  If  they  are  lazy,  they  won’t  clean  up  or  sanitize  their  environment.  

It  builds  up  the  environment  and  it  depends  on  the  people.  If  they  don’t  want  to  

clean  up,  the  environment  won’t  grow.  It  is  hard  for  them  to  find  mineral  water  

that   is   still   clean.   They   clean   up   their   body   in   the   lake   or   the   river   near   their  

house.  It  is  very  difficult  for  them  to  get  some  fresh  air  because  the  environment  

has  been  polluted  with  so  many  pollutions.  The  Jakarta’s  air  is  thick  with  smells,  

some   arising   from   the   clogged   Jakarta   roads   and   their   polluting   traffic,   others  

from  the  piles  of   rotten  garbage.  Sometimes,   they  cook   their  meal  between   the  

train   tracks.   Their   house   is   connected   with   the   place   where   they   put   all   the  

unused  things.  How  come  they  live  at  a  place  like  that?  They  don’t  complain,  they  

don’t   argue,   they   just   live   their   life   there.   Without   complaining   at   all.   Even  

though  it’s  hard  for  them  to  search  for  clean  water,  they  will  never  give  up  with  

those  probations.    

Why  do  low  income,  low  education,  and  unemployment  increase  numbers  

of   young   thieves   in   senen   slum  area?  Low   income   is   the   familiar   thing  on   that  

environment.  It  is  very  ordinary  because  those  people’s  job  is  only  begs  or  collect  

some  unused  things.  It  is  very  hard  for  them  to  get  the  money.  So  that,  the  other  

options  for  them  is  only  to  steal  other  people’s  belongings.  The  low  of  education,  

their  attitude  isn’t  very  good.  They  don’t  know  is  it  right  or  is  it  wrong  for  them  

to   steal   other   people’s   belongings.   Their   attitude   based   on   their   environment.  

The  environment  already  stuck  with  the  laziness.  They  really  want  their  life  to  be  

like  ours.  How   to   change   their  environment?   It  depends  on  how   they   treat   the  

environment   itself.    Though   they  know  how  to  avoid   the   train,   it  doesn’t  mean  

they  know  how  to  change  their  environment  into  the  good  ones.  Unemployment  

seems   really   common  on   their   daily   life.   The   unemployment   causes   the   young  

thieves.  Why  do  they  cause  the  young  thieves?  It  is  because  if  you  don’t  have  any  

jobs,  what  else  could  they  do?  Only  steal,  steal  and  steal.  Last  but  not  least,  why  

do  unsafe  environment,  low  income,  and  dirty  area  become  a  common  situation  

in  senen  slum  area?