Den of Thieves

I recently found myself in the Atlanta airport with my wife and son. We were eating in one of the more popular sandwich shops located in the sprawling concourse. We sat down and I overheard two employees talking about a recent event that had caused a stir at the restaurant.

It seems that a physician accidentally left a briefcase in the eatery the week before and the briefcase, which wasn’t locked, harbored the modern equivalent to a pirate’s trove.

The conversation between the fast food employees went like this:

“You hear about the briefcase that was left here last week?”

“Yeah. I heard. And some fool turned the thing in. You believe that?”

“That was me, I woulda kept that thing!”

“Hell yeah. Thing had 70 Ben Franklins in it!”

I’d kept that thing. Got me some new clothes.”

“Yeah, man. The fool turned the thing in.”

“Crazy, man, crazy.”

“Better is a poor person who walks in his integrity than one who is crooked,” says the book of Proverbs. Is this ancient opinion debatable? It must be or we would not see — on such a vast scale that defies race and class — fraud, stealing and embezzlement. And while I have told my share of “white” lies, and stolen a lollipop at 12 years of age to impress the wrong crowd, I do believe there is a social consequence when we are less than truthful.

Shakespeare said, “No legacy is so rich as honesty.” If this is true, why would two gainfully employed men talk about keeping $70,000 dollars that does not belong to them? I grew up hearing Benjamin Franklin’s pithy saying, “Honesty is the best policy,” which is akin to a religious sentiment found in the Q’uran: “God will reward honest people for their honesty.” I can’t help but wonder, however, if we no longer hold the conviction expressed by Franklin or believe in the idea that God rewards people for doing what is right, especially when doing wrong is more profitable.

Though Benjamin Franklin coined his phrase 200 years ago, I am not naive enough to believe that people were, at an earlier time, more humane, honest and virtuous. The ancient commandment, “Thou shalt not steal,” proves as much.

Is it me or does dishonesty appear to be growing in every strata of our nation? From Washington to Tallahassee, and from homes to schools, dishonesty, it seems, is the new best policy. I am convinced that we parents must do a better job of instilling honesty in our children. Clergy must do a better job. Our elected officials must do a better job. Corporate leaders must do better job. We must try to model honesty. For a nation, community, religious organization—or corporation that does not stridently condemn dishonesty is nothing but a den of thieves; the treasure they — we — plunder is truth. And, as someone once remarked, “There is no worse theft than that of truth.”