What Price Inrtegrity?

[Samuari]

Today we had to fire two employees who had stollen arround $500.00 woth of cds. One is a juv. and his record will be sealed when he reaches 18, but the other is 18 and if convicted will be a felon. This all seemed so cheap a price to sell their reputation for.

I've never said that I wouldn't do something like that, but it would have to be enough to suport me and my family in style in Rio.

 

[Silverlily]

It's sad, isn't it? We had the same thing happen at a store I worked at. Someone in a supervisory position stole about $550 out of petty cash a little bit at a time.

I think it's an inability to see down the road. The immediate "rewards" completely obscure the consequences. Not to mention the "I won't get caught" arrogance. It's a shame really.

 

[SeXy ReDHeD]

I think the young ones just don't fully understand the impact something like that can have on their lives. They think, "If I get caught, what's the worst that can happen?" They think maybe a small fine, some community service, and that everything will be fine after that... they don't realize that a breach of trust thing, like stealing from an employer, demonstrates their character, and that it will tarnish their reputation forever.

 

[TN_Vixen]

Sam, when you say "in style" in what context? For how long? I'm completely ignorant of the amount of $$ it takes to survive there, elaborate please.

btw.. stealing is an issue that I have gotten up on my soapbox about several times to my son. One of my lifelong friends stole from me when she was on drugs and it cut to the bone. My son witnessed my heartache and sobbing half the night and I'm convinced that whatever else he may do in his life, he'll never be a thief.

 

[Gingersnap]

Be Afraid folks be very afraid

There is a epidemic of entitlement in this country. You have a nice car I do not so let me take yours. Why should I work for it when I can just steal yours. So what if you worked three jobs and seven days a week. I want it and I am more important then you so.......
This mentality extends to everything believe me. "See me first" in the emergency room not because my injury is worse but because it is ME. If you do not "hop to" I will display my advanced coping skills by calling you names and threatening your jobs and self esteem.

Is it a lack of integrity, a lack of spiritual belief??
I find it frightening. To see men and women raging on the roads with these huge machines and actually hurting each other for a space violation?? I drive now with the knowledge that the person in the next car is potentially every bit as dangerous as the gangs standing on a corner. Sorry I rambled on so but it is something I have been more aware of these last few years.

 

[Cheyenne]

I'm not in retail, so fewer employees have access to cash or being able to steal from the company I work for. The first time I was involved with having to fire an employee for stealing, I was surprised that people actually stole such small amounts. I thought a thief would steal big bucks because it just didn't bother them at all and they would go for it. But it is much more common for employees to steal a little at a time. Makes it harder to notice and catch them, too. Sadly, I'm no longer surprised when we find an employee stealing. It is much more common than I ever dreamed possible.

My theory is the people who steal big and head off to Rio know exactly what they are doing and that it is wrong. But many of the people who steal the smaller amounts figure it won't hurt the company, so it can't be that bad. It may be they use the cash for gambling debts, nicer clothes, going out to dinner, sometimes to be able to provide better for their children. But it is usually normal every day expenses and they are just living a higher level lifestyle than their salary would support. I think Gingersnap is correct with the sense of "entitlement" theory. The American economy is doing so well, everyone wants to particpate. Whether legitimately, or not.

 

[Ambrosious]

OMG! Gingersnap you took the words right out of my mouth. I have felt that in the last five to ten years self entitlement has gotten out of control. But only if we are talking about the feel good things out there. Sure what is yours is mine too, but don't make me responsible for my own actions. Have you heard all the bs about criminals blaming their raising? Damn, my pop used to spank my butt too, but I didn't go out and kill a Beatle! How about that woman with the coffee and McDonald's? Are the fasst food chains responsible for her clumsiness? Not once did an epileptic sue McDonald's and you know that there had to be a spill or two. Here in Atlanta, we have the case of two teenage boys who stole an SUV and went on a mailbox bashing spree. Are the boys parents holding the kids responsible? NO! They are too busy fighting to keep them on the football team. AARRRGGGHHHHH!

I can't wait to have kids myself and feel that I will make a pretty good dad. And I will teach my children a strong work ethic, and how to take responsibility for their actions. Too many people today are trying to be their kids friend first. I vow to be the parent first, friend second.

 

[Whispersecret]

Gingersnap, Cheyenne, Ambrosious, I am indeed very afraid. You're absolutely right. Another aspect of entitlement is, "What can I get for myself that I don't deserve, but can get away with?"

I have a pregnant friend who has gotten varicose veins. Her doctor informed her that insurance won't pay for treatment unless they're the painful kind. Her mother advised her to start complaining about the pain. When my friend told me that, I had no reply, and after a pause, she said, "Well, of course, I'd be willing to pay for it..."

The McDonald's Coffee thing is a perfect example. The clumsy idiot doesn't deserve a thing, and yet received a large amount of money.

I think it all has to do with moral character. When people are faced with a moral choice, too often they choose the option that benefits them the most and then try to rationalize it. I'm sure this has always been done as long as the human race has existed, but it seems rampant in our society and even glorified in the media.

Ambrosious, have a bunch of kids. The world needs some more decent people, and it sounds like you could raise some.

 

[Bigdog]

I saw a local news story last night that seems to illustrate this entitlement theme. It seems a local businessman has had to hire nighttime security patrols to stop his product from disappearing each night. So far he estimates losses around $20,000 this year alone. Theft has always been a problem in years past, but never to this level.

His product? PUMPKINS

Yes, those orange gourds that are so popular this time of year. What makes this story so disenheartening is that it isn't a case of a few thugs making off with truckloads of pumpkins. This is THOUSANDS of individuals taking 3 or 4 pumpkins each. They even stop along the freeway during daylight hours and help themselves. Mostly adults, certainly all of driving age since they are coming down the freeway.

What can we expect from today's youth if the adults are teaching them it's OK to take things because you want them?

 

[forgetunome]

Gingersnap...

...my sentiments exactly!

The company I worked for had 2 employees that were in cuhoots (sp?) One was the Accounting Manager, the other was the Accounts Payable clerk. They were writing manual checks then entering them in the computer as legit vendor names that we write checks to and when the statement would come the Manager would pull out the checks that had their names on them and dispose of them...since he balanced the statements noone was the wiser....that is until the President of the company went to the bank for some company business and a spur of the moment thought Heck why don't I spot audit our statement and cancelled checks before they ship them to us? So he went to the bank manager and requested to see our statements...the bank manager took him to a room and brought in the checks. Now mind you the President wasn't really expecting to find anything he just thought why not exercise my rights and thought it would be fun. Well, as he was going through the cancelled checks he saw a check made out to the accounting manager. The first one was no big deal he just thought probably a reimbursement check. Then he found a check made out to the A/P clerk. Hmmm he's thinking this is suspicious then he found several more. He came back to the company and had the Chief Accountant look those check numbers up in the computer and they were in the system as {e.g.} U. S. West telecommunications and other utilities. Well they started pulling statements and found missing checks in all of the statements. So then we had to request copies of all of those checks from the bank. Sure enough all of the missing checks had their names on them. To the tune of several 10's of thousands. This is a multi-million dollar company so seeing those dollars going out would not necessarily raise eyebrows. Especially when you've got the main person in control of A/P and statements working with each other covering the tracks.

Well, when confronted I have never seen anyone shake so violently as the guy who was the Accounting Mgr. he kept apologizing and saying how sorry he was etc. They escorted him out. He got only 3 months house arrest. When they
confronted the clerk she looked the president in the eye and said I felt I deserved this as I haven't had a raise in awhile she wasn't the least bit repentive! She just got community service since they felt he was the ring leader. But, it is on their permanent records as they cannot hold jobs that deal with money.

The thing that got me was I really liked the Manager. I would have never guessed him as being a person who could ever do such things! It really made me question my ability to read a persons character especially when you think you know them well. I really felt betrayed as we all did. When people embezzle it affects more than just the monetary aspect of the company...it does a number to morale! A little on the lighter side...he was going bald on top so he went to Hair Club for Men and had them weave hair into his so he had a full head of hair. And we all complemented him on it....little did we know at the time the company paid for it! He also went to Hawaii courtesy the company!

Sorry this post is so long but, this thread struck a note! Think before acting on impulse you take more than money when you steal, you also take everyones trust & respect with you!

[Edited by forgetunome on 09-30-2000 at 12:49 PM]

 

[KillerMuffin]

KillerMuffin, Superthief. Interpol warnings are out, BOLO for...

I worked at a video store once and got really pissed off at the owner. So I lashed out in my typical childish lower lip stuck out throw myself on the floor and scream so mom will buy the toy fashion. I stole a candybar and ate it in the store. I even left the wrapper under the trashbag, instead of in it.

I couldn't take it, I had nightmares that night and kept trying to hack up the candybar, but I'd already digested the thing. The next day, I was still pissed. The 3rd day, I was really hacked at him, but I felt so awful for what I'd done.

The fourth day, I was supposed to be at work, but I'd made myself so sick, I couldn't go in. So the fifth day, when no one was looking, I rung up 3 candybars and paid for them. I figured having him go crazy trying to figure out why he sold 2 more candy bars than he had was revenge enough.

My thieving career was pretty short, mercifully.

 

[Samuari]

Thanks guys for the thoughtful posts. I had another experance, comprmised integrity last night. Our high school gives passes to athletic events to varsity athletes in all sports, so my daughter, swimmer, has one. I was walking into the football stadium with another swim dad to watch the local friday night heros. He wanted to know why I was paying the $5.00 admission, when I had access to swimmer's pass. Itold him that I had not earned that pass, swimmer, had. And besides that, My integrity is worth more than $5.00.

If you can't be trusted in little things, how can you be trusted in big ones? If this is the example that adults set for thier kids, is it any wonder that those kids think that it all right to steal music because they want it, and can't pay for it.

 

[Whispersecret]

My father used to make us kids stand away from the ticket window when he bought movie tickets so he could pass us off as younger than we were. I hated that. Even though he set a bad example, I don't do that. My conscience is too active. Probably not as vicious as KillerMuffins (!) but it would bother me.

The trouble is, that guy who uses the swimmer's pass probably walked off saying to himself that you were stupid to pay when you didn't have to.

 

[lala]

me on my soapbox again!

ok, so i was raised to be part of the whole, to pull your own weight, however you wanted to put it. and we took advantage of every way to save money. but once we were over 12, we didn't order off the kiddie menu cuz it was less, or stand back from the window at the movies, but we did use coupons at the grocery store. we milked every penny, but we never tried to get blood from a stone so to speak.

i never understood those people, i always saw it as so underhanded and conniving,... i think it's worse than big stealing- that's for some dream that people have of a better life, or a better place, or more drugs... (j/k on that last)

the little stuff to me is an indication of a bad person- i like to give people the benefit of the doubt and say somewhere inside they're a good person,... but you know, some people are just not good people inside,... even if they don't kill or steal cars or do drugs, or whatever it is.

it tests my faith in humanity when people don't have integrity. and i often find that i end up not liking those people for just as many other reasons.

oh yeah, and on deserving- i know someone who thinks he deserves things to the extent that if he asks for something and you don't give it to him, that he feels he has the right to be not just unhappy about it, but be angry at you , and demand it of you. he truly expects people to give him things if he asks, and thinks he can put you down if you don't. it's the most appalling behviorism i can think of in that realm.

i don't have to give someone a cigarette if i don't want to, or spare change, or a ride somewhere, or let them stay with me, or buy them lunch, or anything else. and they don't have the right to tell me i do!

ok i've ranted long enough,... i hope it wasn't too boring,..

 

[Samuari]

trolls

It seems to me that part and parcil with being honest is taking responciability for your actions. The anominous character of the internet gives us the ability to to act and oviod that responcability. This is no where so ovious as when our trolls move in with guest posts for the intention of harming the adults who are willing to take credit for their actions. There are times I supose, when these are intended to be another way of poking a little harmless fun, but tprice is simply too high.