You see, sometimes there actually is a middle ground on which to least most people can agree.
Sometimes there is a middle ground even if by the slimmest of margin. Sometimes there isn't. Some things are black and white. Did you pay for the item or did you steal the item? That is an either or question. There is nothing in between. As humans sometimes we can understand the motivations and even be willing to forgive things but in the end either you did steal something or you didn't.
As a very young child a friend and I got on the bread truck and each took a jaw breaker or piece of bubble gum. My mom and the breadman saw our little caper. Yes, in the early 50's the bakery and local dairy would send out trucks in to the neighborhoods to go door to door to sell their products. Moms were almost always at home back then. The breadman was willing to forgive me. I was just a 5 year old kid. He didn't care. My mom sure did. After my friend and I returned from running off after our heist she took me in the house to have that motherly talk about right and wrong, then like a leopard she turned and tanned my ass pretty good.
Funny, I haven't thought about that in a very long time.