Four members of the William Paterson University football team in New Jersey each scored $50 gift cards after surveillance cameras captured them at a Wayne store paying for batteries and sunglasses, even though no employees were around.
Really? Are we as a society at the point where someone choosing not to be a dishonest criminal is so extraordinary that it deserves comment and reward? I can’t help but wonder if this would be news if they weren’t university football players.
I think it’s more like the news entities are at a point where they usually only report on dishonest behavior. The reward was used more to bait the story than a reward to the subjects.
If your complaint is with what gets reported, the reward ought to go to the news outlet. I doubt the young men who did this feel in need of reward for simply doing the right thing.
You often hear about a carrot and stick approach to influencing good behavior, but the criminal justice system is really all about the stick. Don’t begrudge these guys a few carrots.