A Morning Commentary

In yesterday's entry, I mentioned about a fire in a Detroit suburb that killed 3 young kids and their great aunt and it looks like the cause was from a space heater. I can be quite judgmental at times (shocking, I know) so I try to think what I would do in their shoes or look at all possible reasons before jumping to conclusions but there are so many things wrong with this story.

1. There were 8 people living there at the time (most of them related) - 4 adults and 4 children. The mother of the children, two other adults and a 10 month old made it out unharmed. I try not to but sometimes I find myself questioning parents when something like this happens until I remind myself that perhaps the kids were sleeping on the second floor and they were on the first and there was no way to get to them yadah, yadah, yadah...except they were all sleeping upstairs. The mother or the other adults didn't think of grabbing the three as they headed downstairs and outside?!? I'm not a parent but that seems to go against everything I would imagine a parent would feel and do. I imagine it as something that is instinctive to try even if that means die trying.

2. This story had the added benefit of this household not having electricity since December of 2004 and gas since March of 2005. 4 adults could not find or hold jobs that allowed them enough money to pay for this over the past 3-4 years? Neighbors or family members with utilities didn't know this and try to help them somehow or direct them to agencies that assist low income households? The utility company came in 2006 and removed the meters. They didn't realize that people were still living there as they were dismantling the meters?

I reflect on these questions while thinking of my neighbors. I'm pretty sure I would know if Lawn Nazi didn't have electricity since their 5,000 watt kitchen light shines directly into our bedroom but as for the others that don't necessarily leave their porch lights on at night and have heavy curtains that don't let the interior light shine through, I would assume that they did when in fact, they could be in the same predicament as this family was and I am no better then the neighbors of this family...but I keep going back to the point that really sticks out: 4 adults and no money for it for this long?!? Big A would say that as a whole, whites and blacks put different priorities on such things. You drive through public housing and what do you see? Really nice, brand-new vehicles, loaded with accessories. You drive through a neighborhood of small (by today's standards) ranch-style, well-kept houses built in the 70's and what do you see? Vehicles that aren't right off the assembly line and with all possible accessories. Eric Hoffer would say that this group of people are use to living in poverty and so they accept it and don't fight against it as they would if they were new to it.

Humanity gives me a headache.