What I Wouldn't Do

I sometimes wonder if there's a limit on what people would do for money.

Recently, a Kansas City, Missouri couple falsely claimed they were the new parents of sextuplets in a scheme to profit from their neighbors' kindness. The births were said to have occurred in March, and the local newspaper ran a story with a photograph of the couple holding six baby outfits. A reporter was allowed into the home nursery, which included six gift baskets from the husband's employer, and demonstrating they were prepared to receive the four boys and two girls, as soon as they were discharged from intensive care.

The couple created a web site soliciting gifts which included a van, washer and dryer, cash and gift certificates, and a new house. Oddly enough, the babies were never seen and the town police chief could find no record of the birth. Now, the truth is out, and prosecutors haven't determined how much the couple profited from the scam, or what charges to bring beyond the municipal level. The couple said they did it because they needed the money. I was amazed at all the effort they put into their scam.

Occasionally, I ponder just how far I'd go if I really was in desperate need. I wouldn't kill anyone, or become involved in anything that would harm another. I wouldn't rob, steal, or cheat anyone. And, I wouldn't do anything that involved a crime. I'm the kind who always gets caught.