WW II vet found frozen in home

Sigh.

This story just really struck me, is so sad.

This man had his power shut off, and was found in his home, with a coat and four layers of clothing on.

Someone who has fought for this country should not have their power shut off. Michigan is now putting a moratorium on any power shut-offs.

I guess it is not a bad idea to check on your seniors who live alone to make sure they are ok.

This man didn't know they were going to shut off his power.

WWII Vet found frozen in home.

Maybe this should be a national law, no one gets their power shut off in the winter time.
And there has to be some kind of assistance.

reply to post by nixie_nox

Sigh. This story just really struck me, is so sad. This man had his power shut off, and was found in his home, with a coat and four layers of clothing on. Someone who has fought for this country should not have their power shut off. Michigan is now putting a moratorium on any power shut-offs.

Why can’t we do good things before something bad happens? I say it is the Three P’s that killed him. Priorities. Profits. Poverty.

I guess it is not a bad idea to check on your seniors who live alone to make sure they are ok. This man didn't know they were going to shut off his power. Maybe this should be a national law, no one gets their power shut off in the winter time. And there has to be some kind of assistance.

Dozens of people including children die every year in America from power shut-offs. This case just drew publicity because he was a veteran. Veteran or no, you should not die of cold in the richest country in the world. $2 billion a week for Iraq and Afghan, but not a penny for hungry and cold Americans. Wow! I’m sure glad we are a Christian nation! Can you imagine how it would be if we were not? Thank you, Jesus.

What kind of logic does it take to justify shutting off residential power during a Michigan winter? I would think a mere moment of thought would convince you of the harm this might cause to any resident, elderly or not. I understand the business aspect of it, certainly, but is it really so unreasonable to suggest that we inject a bit of humanity and common sense into our decisions, even if our finances take a hit?

Ah, right--stupid question.

The poor guy had his priorities all mixed up and he probably bought food and medicine instead of paying his bills.

Cue arrogant post about personal responsibility, and how we shouldn't feel sorry for anyone who brings something like this upon themselves.

I personally think that this country has lost any humanity that they may have had left. When we are more upset about bottle rockets hitting israel, or whether or not we should send more of our youth to die in some country most americans couldn't find on a map, than one of our own citizens(vet or not) being killed(involuntary manslaughter)by greedy corporations, i think we have missed the point of the creation of this nation.

reply to post by donwhite


YOu are absolutely right, no one should be having their power shut off in the winter. Even fi there was an issue regarding his limited use capacitor or whatever the hell it was they put on his house, they should of avoided giving that to someone in their nineties.

My line of work I have seniors call all the time. They are widows. They need to have work done on their house. Their toilet is leaking through the floor and they can't fix it. they are on social security. And there is nothing we can do to help them.

Christmas in April helps who they can, but it is a drop in the bucket.

There really should be more in place to help our seniors.

This is a small taste of what's to come. Let's face it, these greedy corporations aren't going to suddenly develop a heart. They will only get worse.

Imagine if the RFID chip in humans becomes a reality, and they start turning off chips...

reply to post by NuclearPaul


Oh I can just see it now dont pay some back taxes or they find some old dept from college and they shut off your ability to put food on the table render medical care or get a car loan until that bill is paid.

reply to post by SLAYER69

The poor guy had his priorities all mixed up and he probably bought food and medicine instead of paying his bills.

There is at least one place in n/w Georgia that tries to alleviate this problem. Last year I was googling to find variable electric rates. I found this small city - about 5,000 population - that charged a very low rate for the first 500 kW per month usage. Say $5. Then the rate was bumped up for the next 1000 kW on everyone to recapture the revenue lost on the first 500 kW.

I live alone in a fairly new apartment (2001) in Florida. My eclectic usage runs 400-500 kW per month. My bill runs about $50-$60 a month on average. It was $49.99 last month. Fortunately I can pay my bill but I know people who do not have the financial resources to pay that much. They do without a/c or heat as much as they can.

Oh, I forgot to record that city’s name. Sorry.

[edit on 1/30/2009 by donwhite]

it makes my stomac hurt to see christians on this site.

like it makes me wanna throw up.

reply to post by nixie_nox

My line of work I have seniors call all the time. They are widows. They need to have work done on their house. Their toilet is leaking through the floor and they can't fix it. they are on social security. And there is nothing we can do to help them. Christmas in April helps who they can, but it is a drop in the bucket. There really should be more in place to help our seniors.

I have mixed feelings about charities. My downside feeling is that people can assuage their conscience by donating a few bucks to a charity. Drop a couple quarters into the Salvation Army kettle at Christmas time and SOME people are through with helping the poor.

The Christian Children’s Fund says 26,000 children die every day from lack of food or diseases exacerbated by insufficient diet. The UN says 16,000. Let’s admit it is very hard to know the real number. Like the undocumented workers in America, you can’t say, “Raise your hand if you are about to die from lack of food!” OR "If you are here without a visa!”

During times of famine children have always been the first to die. Hey, the mother has got to feed herself or the child will surely die. And when you are down to dividing roots and insects how do you know when you’ve given enough. Or not enough? Plus, from a Darwinian point of view, adults are the only one’s capable of reproduction which makes a child expendable in the greater scheme of things. Survival of the species. You can always produce more children but you cannot produce more mothers!

I greatly admire people who donate their time and money to help others, young or old. But I do wonder if their efforts are not in reality counter-productive because it alleviates the necessity for the PTB - powers that be - from dealing with that problem straightforward. The only agency the people can employ to solve national problems is the national government. No other entity has the resources to do the job. And if people’s attention is diverted away from the grand solution then people will continue to freeze to death.

There is a wonderful story told by Greg Mortenson who made a great effort to build a school in Afghanistan. Briefly, he was on a tour to climb K2, when bad weather drove them down the mountain. He became separated and lost. Near death he wandered into an Afghan village. Although a total stranger and he spoke no language they understood, he was immediately taken in, nursed back to health over the 4-5 months of winter. When he was well enough to depart, he asked what they most wanted. The 150 villagers agreed they wanted a school for their children. Over the next 2 years Greg managed to acquire the money and returned to Afghan to build the school. Aside from the human interest of a true story of real adventure, Greg’s discovery of what Afghans really want could be oh so very useful to the US Government how to “win the hearts and minds” of a far-off people. I sincerely hope Mr. Holbrooke has read his book. www.pbs.org...


[edit on 2/16/2009 by donwhite]