Stealing

The story about a stolen bike at USF illustrates so much of what is out of whack in our society. First a college dean (yes that is a position of authority making over $300,000 a year) helps a day laborer take a bike the dean knew did not belong to either of them. His defense, "I failed to consider that the bicycle belonged to someone on our Alzheimer's team." So if it belonged to someone else, it would be okay to take it? His other defense, given in an interview Friday, Rao said he never intended to keep the bike.
"How stupid would that be? I knew the cameras were there."
Well, let's see, how stupid is it to take something that doesn't belong to you without asking? So I guess, I can take Rao's car, as long as I return it...sometime. I'm flabbergasted that he is so flippant about what he did.
On the other hand, that the university then demanded his resignation seems a little overboard. It was wrong, stupid, not well-thought out, but is it really an offense requiring resignation? This all-or-nothing mentality is ludicrous. I'm not sure what the university should do as to Rao...making him buy some bikes for free use on campus may be a good idea. But resignation? Seems like everybody is "failing to consider.." a lot of things.

Makes me think of the book, "All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten." by Robert Fulghum. Some of those things include... play fair, don't hit people, clean up your own mess, DON'T TAKE THINGS THAT AREN'T YOURS, say you're sorry when you hurt somebody, warm cookies and cold mike are good for you. Yep, pretty simple and unfortunately too rarely followed.
Bottom line. Stealing is wrong.