It's a shame in a way that happenings like this aren't more commonplace, but nonetheless it's refreshing to see a headline that doesn't involve murder, theft or destruction.
The scene unfolded in smaller town New Jersey. Police were called because of a suspected burglary. Four young black men were seen entering a store after hours so of course, most would believe the worst.
What's great about this story is that all of the doubters, haters and profilers would be wrong.
As it turns out, the four young men are University football players. (Not that this matters in the grand scheme of things. What matters is the morals of these young men.)
Running late for practice they stopped at a local store to pick up a few things. They approached the front door and it was unlocked so they went in. (A faulty locking system was apparently to blame.) Video surveillance shows the men walking about the store, appearing as though they were looking for a store associate to help them. No employees appeared.
What would you do in this case? There are a number of options. Realizing the store is empty you could put your potential purchases down and leave. You could also leave with them in hand and not pay a cent, after all, it's not your mistake the doors were left open. Choosing neither of the above options, these men picked up what they needed and left full payment on the counter before leaving.
"...we decided to put the money on the counter instead of stealing, because that's just not right," said one of the men involved in an interview following the incident.
Police apparently arrived on the scene shortly after the fact and alerted the store owner that there "may have been a break in," but upon watching the security tape the real story unfolded. So thrilled with the honesty of her 'customers,' the store owner tracked down the men and invited them back to her business. Because they were so stand up, she rewarded them with thank you gifts in the form of needed purchases for their dorm rooms. NICE.
You can't judge a book by its cover and you can't paint a generation with one brush and that's a good thing.
"Always do what is right. It will gratify half of mankind and astound the other." - Mark Twain
