Easy to Be Hard (1 Viewer)

[Tom Rhea]

How can people be so heartless? Is it a US cultural thing, or would this happen in other first world, financially well-off countries?
Teen dies, starved and alone
Abused in Pa. and dumped in Fla., 18-year-old found someone to help - too late.
By Marc Schogol
Inquirer Staff Writer
Jim Sewastynowicz / Hazelton Standard Speaker
Abused and starving, Chester Lee Miller, 18, was forced sometime this month to make a desperate 1,000-mile bus journey from the home of his mother and stepfather in Hazleton, Pa., to the Florida Panhandle, a place from which his natural father had earlier sent him packing.
Aboard the bus, in terminal after terminal, town after town, Miller said, he cried and begged strangers for help.
No one listened.
Weighing little more than 60 pounds, the famished teenager with sunken eyes finally arrived in Milton, Fla., about 20 miles north of Pensacola, only to be rejected again. There, authorities said, his relatives shut him out of their trailer home on Saturday and literally dumped him at an apartment complex.
"He looked like a Holocaust victim," said Janice Goodman, at whose door Miller knocked, pleading again for help. "I never would have thought something like this would be in Florida or the United States."
The rest of the story

 

[Micah Cohen]

In college, me and my roommate easily shoplifted enough stuff from the local 7-11 to feed an army. I would've reverted to my old criminal self before I ended up DYING.

There's something here that is missing, some missing info. Something is wrong with the guy, that he didn't shoplift some food, or do some dumpster diving.

What's the missing info?

MC

 

[Blake R]

Your mother must be proud.

 

[John Spencer]

There's something here that is missing

Hey, that's the same thing the 7-11 owner kept saying! What a coincidence! :rolleyes

 

[Carl Johnson]

I'd agree that story has a too pitiful to be true ring to it, I mean nobody would be so low as to shoplift from 7-11 ..................

 

[Tom Rhea]

Something is wrong with the guy, that he didn't shoplift some food, or do some dumpster diving.

By the time he was on his way to Florida after escaping from what was essentially a prison, he was already so malnourished I doubt seriously he'd have the ability, physically or mentally, to steal.

But that's an interesting argument you're making. People shouldn't help other people; those in need should just steal for themselves.

 

[Ryan Wright]

This story is bullshit; people are not heartless. Not to sound harsh, but nobody starves to death in this country. He couldn't have walked into a Burger King or any other restaurant and begged the manager for food, or offered to wash dishes in exchange for a hot meal? He couldn't have gone to a homeless shelter? He could have walked into any office building and told the receptionist about his situation, and somebody would have helped. He could have walked into any police station.

Either the kid was not of sound mental state, or the story is complete BS. Nobody has to starve to death in this country. Sorry, but it just doesn't happen, unless you choose it to happen or something else is really wrong.

 

[James Q Jenkins]

Not to sound harsh, but nobody starves to death in this country.

Wow that is one of the most naive statements I've ever read.

 

[Tom Rhea]

This story is bullshit; people are not heartless.

The country's worse off than I thought.

 

[Ryan Wright]

Wow that is one of the most naive statements I've ever read.

Really James - do you care to provide examples to back up your claim of my naivety? I assume you can find plenty of recent examples of people starving to death in the USA. Right?
I didn't think so. Anyone in this country can get free food, free housing, and free cable television courtesy of the taxpayers. People don't starve to death around here. This news story is an unbelievable example; this boy did not have to starve. There are resources available everywhere. I don't buy the claims that "nobody would help him". Put a couple dozen people on a bus, and then throw a starving teenager into the picture, begging for food. You're telling me not a single person would give him some food, or direct him to a shelter or the authorities? Come on...
More likely, is he was so terribly abused, he did not know what to do - where to go - what to say. That is the tragedy here, but the media would have you believe the real tragedy is that Americans are all cruel, heartless people. They're wrong. We aren't.

 

[Tom Rhea]

Anyone in this country can get free food, free housing, and free cable television courtesy of the taxpayers.

Yeah, even while they're being held prisoner by their parents, they should waltz right over to their local welfare office and sign up for the 'ole free ride yer so damn sure everybody gets.

And btw, what makes you think people at Burger King or wherever would have offered any more help than anybody else did?

Man, selfishness and greed are a total cancer. Look out for that instant karma.

 

[Ryan Wright]

Quote:

Because, 9 out of 10 people are good, decent people. What, you think we're all "elite"? That we're "better than everyone else" because "we would have helped" and "they didn't"? The media has blown this one up, pal. I don't know a single person who would have turned his back on this kid had they known his situation.
I worked at Burger King for 3 years as a teenager. The manager gave a free cup of coffee to the same homeless woman every morning. Most restaurant managers would have offered an obviously starving person some food.

 

[CharlesD]

Anyone in this country can get free food, free housing, and free cable television courtesy of the taxpayers.

Cool! where do I sign up? IF I don't have to pay rent then I can save more for my house, thats a worthy cause! Does the free cable include HBO-HD? I'm sure the taxpayer wouldn't want me to miss seeing the Sopranos in full HDTV glory!

 

[Philip_G]

maybe if he was that skinny he could have been mistaken for a junkie.. and no one thought he really needed food.
or perhaps this country has had enough of pan handling?

 

[Ryan Wright]

Cool! where do I sign up?

Your local welfare office. There are income requirements.

 

[Holadem]

Not to sound harsh, but nobody starves to death in this country.

I have to agree with Ryan on this one. I am not from the US, I am as liberal as they come, but to say people are starving in this coutry is bullshit.

This is an extremely wasteful country. There is more food in the next garbage can than in some entire populated regions of the world.

No fucking way I would starve to death. Forget about stealing, or even asking for food. I am sure supermarkets, restaurants and fast food joints throw out boatloads of food everyday. There are homeless shelters all over the friggin place.

Something else is at work here, not simple starvation.

--
Holadem

 

[Todd Hochard]

More likely, is he was so terribly abused, he did not know what to do - where to go - what to say.

Doing the right thing, sending him to the right place, understanding what he is trying to say- isn't that the very definition of HELP???

I agree, there must be more to the story, but there's likely more to it than the closed-minded point of view you've presented, as well.

Todd

 

[Ryan Wright]

Doing the right thing, sending him to the right place, understanding what he is trying to say- isn't that the very definition of HELP???

Todd, you misunderstood me. I was trying to say that he was likely so abused he simply did not know how to effectively ask for help. Perhaps he scared away the people he asked. Perhaps he asked them directly for money, and didn't attempt to explain his situation. My point was, had people known his situation - that he was starving to death - almost anyone would have helped him. I don't think anyone really knew until it was too late. I don't think he was able to effectively seek help due to the abuse. :frowning:

 

[MikeAlletto]

I don't believe this story either...yeah its bad that someone died, but if you are starving you would find a way to get food. Doesn't matter how much you don't know, instinct would take over. If it were that bad just break some laws and get arrested...then the system takes care of you.

I just don't buy it...

 

[CharlesD]

There are income requirements.

But you claim that "Anyone" can get "free food, free housing, and free cable television" if there are income requirements presumably not everyone can get this fabulous free stuff. Is this some sort of new program? I have never heard of this before. I thought public hosing had some sort of (all be it low) rent, and I never heard of anyone getting free cable unless they were stealing the service.