Monday, October 13, 2008

Beyond Words

When I was rushing home today in hopes of getting half my lawn mowed, I heard something on the radio that- I'm not even sure how to express it.

There are currently wildfires burning out of control in the greater Los Angeles area. At the time I heard the report, one person had died as a result of the Marek fire. When it comes to wildfires, we usually do a pretty good job of evacuating people and in general, while it is sometimes hard to believe that are any trees left to burn out there in California, these fires are huge, unstoppable events.

But this story on NPR really- it was kind of upsetting. The one fatality (there has since been another) was a homeless man, who was living in a cardboard box which apparently caught fire while he was sleeping. To think that a man forced to take refuge in a cardboard box dies because the box caught fire.

I'm not sure how to even have a rational response to something so heartsickening. I have enough of a problem with the idea that we have so many homeless people in this country. But to burn to death sleeping in a cardboard box ? That's your home.

Wow...

1 comment:

Trihardist said...

Contrast that to the people who live in huge, ridiculous homes in those same hills. The difference between the wealthy and the destitute, what is at stake for each, what they stand to lose.

It does take speech from you. There are only thoughts; there are only feelings.