In case you were needing yet another reason not to indulge in a life of crime (jail terms and sodomy by men with gang tattoos and poor impulse control apparently not being enough of a negative inducement) consider the case of Aaron Tyron James, one of the six inmates who escape from that Tennessee prison this week. James was the last convict uncaptured when the police finally pulled him out of a house crawlspace he was hiding in. His friends had turned him in; apparently James spent the night partying with some pals, celebrating his "early release," when one or more of said pals managed to piece together the following train of thought:- Hey, this guy just escaped from prison.
- So there's probably a reward out on his head.
- Man, I could sure use that cash.
Use it for what? Who cares? Point is, there was a $5,000 reward, and this guy's bosum chums made the determination that their friend was worth less to them as a human being than he was a ready source of quick cash. Since James was doing time for murder, they were undoubtedly correct in their assessment. But even so: Friends don't turn in friends for the reward money. Or at the very least, friends hold out for mid- to high- five figures.
As much as I'm glad the guy is back behind bars, you gotta feel sorry for the guy, too. To have your friends look at you and say, thanks, but I'd rather just have the cash has got to hurt. So stay away from a life of crime, kids -- if you don't, the class of people you get to hang out with will be severely diminished.
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