According to ABC News’ Ben Waldron, a 7 year-old boy found a five dollar bill on the ground at school and decided to keep it. Another student later accused him of stealing. The police were called, and the boy was cuffed and interrogated in the local precinct.
In the novel, The Kite Runner, Khaled Hossein says, “If stealing is taking someone’s right to fairness, then wouldn’t that money be considered fair game?” Where do our students stand on the the issue of found money?
“I guess I would turn it in, depending on where I was,” replied Shuganta Everson.
“Yeah, I’d take the money! I’d grab it and go,” said Dazohnna Nash. Would her fate be as bad as the New York boy’s?
Turning in the money to the front office might allow someone to have his or her lunch money back. Keeping it punishes the original owner for his or her absent-mindedness and carelessness and rewards the finder for being alert.
Is there a real right or wrong answer?
In the original scenario involving the 7 year-old and the $5, the questions and the answers have nothing to do with money. The actions of the adults should be in question, and the answers might have something to do with overreacting.