I read an interesting article in the Saturday Herald.
Apparently a local man has found the way to live well and enjoy the fruits of his labor, without adhering to the time-long adage that honesty is the best policy.
Growing up, we were taught we should be honest in all of our endeavors. Richard Ekstedt must have missed the lesson.
Ekstedt has discovered a way to earn money without bothering to work hard for it like the rest of us. As the adjutant of the local American Legion group, he stole some $370,000.
His punishment, according to The Herald, will be about a year in jail. Now that isn’t bad for a year’s work. Think about it for a moment. The average worker here makes about $20,000 a year after working hard at his or her job. It would take that worker some 18 years to make the money that Ekstedt took. He will spend about a year in jail then walk away free. He may still have all of that money and it only cost him a year’s work, if you can consider a year in jail work.
He’ll have free medical, the opportunity to get a little more education in college-level courses, or learn a new trade. All this plus free meals, free TV, and a nice comfortable place to sleep for a year. That is unless he gets time off for good behavior.
The average worker here will not fare so well. Apparently crime does pay.
Why work for a living? Do as Ekstedt did. Take $370,000 from your employer then ask the judge to forgive you.
Think how this message to our kids will change their attitude about honesty. The judge should consider this at sentencing.
Don Purvis
Everett
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