A Homeless Man's Reward

[Extra Stout]

Why should the guy be heavily rewarded for doing the right thing.

Doing the right thing, and KNOWING it was right is reward enough.

At least thats what our teachers taught us in school.

Helping out an honest guy who is down on his luck is the right thing to do too.

[1Parker1]

Why should the guy be heavily rewarded for doing the right thing.

Doing the right thing, and KNOWING it was right is reward enough.

At least thats what our teachers taught us in school.

Didn't they also teach us, Help those who need help more than us?

[SpursWoman]

I guess because the way I'd figure it is that if I lost that much money, I really owe the guy because if he hadn't found and returned it I'd have nothing, and subtracting whatever I give him, still leaves me with more than I would have had if not for him....

That's how I considered the situation. Without that man turning it in, that money was 100% GONE...pretty likely because of that person's own negligence. Getting even half of it back would be a blessing ... and it would certainly help an honest man down on his luck.

$100 to me seems like an insult.

[TDMVPDPOY]

Didn't they also teach us, Help those who need help more than us?

try tellin that to bush

[Spurminator]

Lots of unknown factors before making a judgment on the $100 reward. For one thing, did the bond owner KNOW he was homeless?

I'm trying to picture the scenario... The police return your savings bonds, and say, "Someone found them in the trash and turned them in. Oh, by the way, he's homeless." Or do they just tell you someone found them in the trash?

Secondly, how do we know how well off this person is? Maybe he NEEDS the $21K.

God knows what's in his heart. I think the outpouring of generosity from people who were touched by the story is great, but I don't think we should make the bond owner out to be some kind of unthankful scrooge without knowing everything.

[TheSanityAnnex]

While out golfing last week, a guy I was playing with found 300 bucks on the 18th tee box. He called me up yesterday to tell me he was splitting it four ways with those who were playing with us. Nice gesture and 75 bucks for me!!

[SpursWoman]

Lots of unknown factors before making a judgment on the $100 reward. For one thing, did the bond owner KNOW he was homeless?

I'm trying to picture the scenario... The police return your savings bonds, and say, "Someone found them in the trash and turned them in. Oh, by the way, he's homeless." Or do they just tell you someone found them in the trash?

Secondly, how do we know how well off this person is? Maybe he NEEDS the $21K.

God knows what's in his heart. I think the outpouring of generosity from people who were touched by the story is great, but I don't think we should make the bond owner out to be some kind of unthankful scrooge without knowing everything.

He obviously didn't NEED it that bad if he didn't take care enough to ensure that they didn't wind up in the trash.

Not many broke people I know have $21,000 in savings bonds ... they would have cashed out those bad boys a long time ago.

And still, without the man turning them in, they'd have NOTHING. They couldn't even have evened it out at $1,000?


*shrugs*

[1Parker1]

Lots of unknown factors before making a judgment on the $100 reward. For one thing, did the bond owner KNOW he was homeless?

I'm trying to picture the scenario... The police return your savings bonds, and say, "Someone found them in the trash and turned them in. Oh, by the way, he's homeless." Or do they just tell you someone found them in the trash?

Secondly, how do we know how well off this person is? Maybe he NEEDS the $21K.

God knows what's in his heart. I think the outpouring of generosity from people who were touched by the story is great, but I don't think we should make the bond owner out to be some kind of unthankful scrooge without knowing everything.

A) How did all those people who showed such an outpouring of genorosity after the fact, know he was homeless? Through the media? In which case, I'm sure that the man who owned the bond did as well. Also, if you re-read the story, it says that the homeless man turned in the money to some people in a homeless shelter.....who in turn found the guy.

B) You're right in that we don't know how well off the bond owner is, but if he has the brains and means to invest money in a safe/risk-free bond to ac ulate $21 grand, I'd more likely conclude he's pretty well off...at least more so than the homeless man.

My biggest gripe is that out of a whole $21,000, he only gave the man $100 as a reward...that's less than .005%!!! And as SW and others mentioned, he lost the bond out of his own negligence and had the man not returned it at all, he would have been left with $0.

[1Parker1]

Anyways, it was nice to see the generosity of people after they heard the news.

One man sent him eight trash bags full of returnable bottles and a bowl of coins

That's sweet.