Cynthia Nixon gets crushed for saying shoplifters shouldn’t be arrested: 'This is how Democrats lose elections'

Cynthia Nixon declared on Twitter that shoplifters shouldn't be arrested, and she was slammed by online commenters. Internet commenters lampooned the proposal by the "Sex and the City" actress as an "out of touch Democrat" who wants to "legalize crime."

Nixon responded to a tweet by Errol Louis, a Spectrum News NY1 journalist, which shared a New York Times article spotlighting the shoplifting surge in San Francisco.

"The mundane crime of shoplifting has spun out of control in San Francisco, forcing some chain stores to close," the article stated. "Walgreens said that thefts at its stores in San Francisco were four times the chain's national average, and that it had closed 17 stores, largely because the scale of thefts had made business untenable."

San Francisco Supervisor Ahsha Safai told the San Francisco Chronicle that shoplifting incidents "have become more violent and brazen," and the situation is "out of control."

"People are scared to go into these stores — seniors, people with disabilities, children. It's just happening brazenly," Safai said

Louis added on his tweet, "Worth noting that several candidates for Manhattan DA (and for NYC Mayor) say shoplifting should not be prosecuted because that's 'criminalizing poverty.'"

Nixon shared the tweet by Louis on Twitter and wrote, "The CVS on my corner has started locking up basic items like clothing detergent. As so many families can't make ends meet right now, I can't imagine thinking that the way to solve the problem of people stealing basic necessities out of desperation is to prosecute them."

Twitter reactions lambasted the former Democratic New York gubernatorial candidate's proposal:

• Tony Bruno: "Guess that embarrassing foray into politics wasn't enough to prove how out of touch with reality you truly are."
• Erielle Davidson: "No, it's mostly organized gangs that then resell the items. These stores close down when the theft becomes too great, taking jobs (and access to basic necessities) with them. We'll need to invent a new academic term for this phenomenon—toothpaste deserts or something."
• Andrew Sullivan: "'Legalize Crime' is almost as effective as 'Defund The Police.'"
• Kurt Schlichter: "Democrats are for theft."
• A Twitter user: "You live in a neighborhood of $3 million-dollar apartments and townhouses. No one at your CVS is 'desperate' to steal 'basic necessities.' This isn't just moral grandstanding on your part, it's really incompetent moral grandstanding."
• A commenter: "Letting people just steal stuff doesn't solve the problem either. Which laws do we choose to follow? Do you really think society will be better off if we let people just walk into a store and steal whatever they want? This is how Democrats lose elections."
• Another user: "Well Cynthia, why don't you go down to the CVS on your corner and simply buy these items from the store. Then set up a table outside the door with the items available for anyone to take, for free. Then you can directly help these families you are so troubled about."
• A commenter: "I grew up poor, and we never took anything that we hadn't paid for. It's insulting that you think the less fortunate have no ability to discern right from wrong. Also, allowing widespread theft will result in higher prices, punishing the poor and honest."
• A Twitter user: "San Francisco allows theft to go on unabated, so the retailers all close. Then there are no jobs and no easily accessed commodities."
• A commenter: "Tweet out your address and open your pantry."