While reading Marcus Cardenas’ column in the June 8 Daily about Napster, I couldn’t help thinking I had heard this story before.

Well, not this story exactly, but close enough. See, there was this little red hen and she made this bread. While she was making it she went around asking all her animal friends if they wanted to help.

Of course, they didn’t. But when the bread was finished, and that delicious aroma of fresh-baked bread was floating around the barnyard, who thought they deserved a share? Everybody!

How does this relate to Cardenas’ column?

Napster users, just like all the other barnyard animals, want something for nothing.

They didn’t put any work into making that album, which in our society means making money to pay the people who did, yet they feel that they have a right to the music.

And what excuse does Cardenas give that makes this OK? Why, he’s only screwing the big companies over, and they can afford it.

OK, so by that logic it should be okay for me to go to Hy-Vee and steal a Snickers bar. Hy-Vee and the Snickers people are both pretty well off, and one stolen candy bar won’t hurt either of them.

Well, I hate to break it to you, but that’s not OK.

It’s still stealing, whether I take a 60-cent candy bar, a song I like or that new $300 Playstation 2.

As of yet, Napster itself isn’t illegal, so go ahead and keep using it, but don’t fool yourselves into thinking that stealing is OK.

Senior

Elementary education and chemistry