Today in Washington DC ... [updated]

Thank you for being a good and decent person.

The people that stole from this unfortunate woman will pay with their souls one day. Vermin, all of them!

Human vultures! Sick heartless callous human vultures.

I hope those people who stole from this poor defenseless old woman enjoy the karma their ill gotten possessions give them.

The horror of sitting there, powerless and discarded,
overwhelmed by sorrow,
and fully aware that no-one really sees you as worthy of care.

There, but for the Grace of God, go I.

I'm glad a human being stumbled on the scene....
I'm especially happy that it was you.
Well done, my friend.

It is encouraging to be reminded that while human beings may be rarer than ever, we're clearly not extinct.

I extend to you a genuine offer of thanks.

You may think that anyone of us would have likely reacted as you did. But frankly, I am not so faithful.

reply to post by schrodingers dog


You did well today, SD. I am afraid that a Star & Flag wasn't enough, so you have the dubious honor of being the third person I hit the friend button on. Like it or not, take it as whatever you think it may mean.

I am left wondering what the local laws in DC are for abuse of the elderly. Here in Ohio, if you can make a case stick, it can mean some pretty dire consequences.

I know that what you have seen today has left you with quite the hollow spot in your heart. It is rather difficult seeing man's inhumanity to man first hand. Especially the first time. Not to say that you have been sheltered or blind, just that today was an awakening that you would rather not have had. Thankfully, you were there. And for her, there was someone that walked up that was a human being in what was a very dark hour.

You gave her one of the greatest gifts we can give each another in this world, a good memory. A positive experience that will be pondered on for a time to come and then again after her time has come and passed. And so shall you as the years pass, you will one day look at that spot and remember what you have done today and have a small smile and tear welling in your eye for doing what you could and knowing it was right.

It is all those little moments of joy and happiness that makes living....life. Never underestimate what a valuable commodity that is. I had two or three today myself, although not nearly as spectacular as yours. But they were mine just the same and will be remembered for quite a while.

Not sure what I can really add to the thread.

Don't know what to say, I'm speechless. Lot's of pent up emotions and this is just from reading your post's SD. Couldn't imagine if I was there.

Thankfully there are still humans like yourself out there.

This world is so #ed....

Originally posted by Helig
WTF thats a 7 series BMW in that bottom picture, that is by no means a cheap car so why the hell is someone who can at least afford the down payment sinking to such a depth. To hear someone wish for death to avoid such a situation really speaks volumes about the state of things. Some savy non-profit minded folks should really start up some kind of organization to help folks in this situation, because its just not right to do that to someone and then allow the common scum of the planet paw through their belongings like that.

Firstly, Helig, the vehicle you refer to is actually an E-34 BMW 5 Series, circa 1989-1995, today's value $2,000-$6,000 aproximately.

Hardly an "expensive" car. And at least 14 years old, at best.



Secondly, although I respect SD for his contribution to ATS, and acknowledge his chivalrous effort on the part of this unfortunate woman; I cannot simply accept the supposedly rightous indignation being heaped upon those anonymous passersby without delving a bit further into the matter.


Yes, I realize that in these hard times, it's cathartic to hurl wild invective at anyone we feel deserving of our wraith. And, yes, the harder the times become, the less circumspect we are likely to be before we pour forth with condemations.


Paradoxically, however, now is the time we must refrain from giving vent to our first, hot, reactions, lest we all get caught up in a sort of (non)civil "fog-of-war".



SD has said that the poor woman knew that this terrible day was on her advent for quite some time; a year, I believe, was the stated timeframe.

And yet, despite having a number of friends who could have helped her, or at least given her moral support and possibly directed her to those who could provide more substantial aid, she waited "For the Ax to Fall", the victim of fear and pride.


As it is often said, and this sad instance proves the tale, "Pride goeth Before the Fall".



Also, I am curious, SD, when you spoke to the lady to get her story, did you happen to ask her why she was allowing this "wonton scavenging" of her belongings to continue un-protested?

Surely, in such a "nice" neighborhood, the impassioned cries of an elderly lady for help against a "Horde of human scum" (as I believe some one characterized the "looters") would not have gone unheeded?


Or is it possible, just possible, that when asked, the old dear, distraut and seeking to put the horrible event behind her, aquiessed (perhaps foolishly) to having strangers walk off with her life's collections, refusing even payment as a too-painful reminder of what her life had become?


Let us not become too slow to inquire, and too quick to condemn. No one knows what their future holds in store.

reply to post by Bhadhidar


Regardless of all of that - human beings ravaged HER belongings.
It was not a yard sale. It was HER belongings - they chose to steal from her.

Originally posted by Bhadhidar

Also, I am curious, SD, when you spoke to the lady to get her story, did you happen to ask her why she was allowing this "wonton scavenging" of her belongings to continue un-protested?

You're asking me more than I know B ...

Quite honestly I typed up this thread in haste an in a bit of a state fueled by both sadness and adrenaline.

What I was mostly trying to convey, and why I put it the "meltdown" forum is people's behavior in the moment. The lady was more of a personal thing that in retrospect I feel almost bad to have shared for it has caused indirect grief to so many of my fellow members.

These people were so frenzied in their pursuits that I would venture to guess that most of them didn't even notice her. Heck they didn't even stop when my friend pulled up in the cruiser.

reply to post by greeneyedleo


It is not "stealing" if the owner agrees to allow you to take an item and refuses payment for that item.


You did not read my post very carefully. I would have expected better from a moderator.


I agree that it might show a disinct lack of compassion to walk off with an old lady's life possessions, as appears to have been described here. However, I find it hard to take this story, however sadly compelling it may be, as "the whole story".

Note, I am not saying it is not true, just that there may be factors and/or details to which the OP is not privy, or may not be giving full and appropriate weight to.


Or perhaps I'm just not yet ready to so easily accuse and condemn my fellow humans.


I've often been told that compassion and empathy are my two greatest weaknesses.

This is so sad and so wrong, but unfortunately just a peek into what's going on all over the US.

What are we going to do

Star and flag

Originally posted by schrodingers dog
Ok I took a few pics, but you're going to have to trust me that less than an hour ago there were tons of people there and the sidewalk had mountains of furniture and belongings on it.

What I captured here are the stragglers picking at the leftovers.

Argh!

Good job, especially backing it up with pictures of this fiasco. I do believe you that the piles where higher just by the lookof the mess along the side of the street, muchof it looked like it was on top of other stuff and the people took those and left the others. Also a good shot with the BMW, the woman or man who owned it was taking stuff from the piles to load into the BMW (look at first picture to see the trunk of the BMW open). This is happening across America, the reason we aren't seeing more of it is because of two reasons. One, the media was starting to show alot of this last year and the start of this year, but the MSM must have been told to cut it out and show moderate pictures to not start a panick or force the govt. to actually do something for the people. The second reason is that people are ashamed and embarrased. A poster commented on the person with that type of BMW worth over 50 thousand dollars taking stuff from the piles, have to look at it this way. That person may have a BMW, a nice home and all the trappings but they have no money or just enough to come out a few hundred dollars a head every month. They are what you call the working poor and the middle class poor. Imagine one day your making 250,000 dollars and have all the trappings of a life with that amount of money. But then you lose your job and the mortgage is due every month (I'm sorry the 2nd mortgage is due because of the refinancing of your property), the health bills are due, the credit card bills are due etc. etc.. You have overextended yourself just like the govt. did, but the govt. can do what you can't do and that is to print money and push the day of reckoning down the road (even thought the end is around the corner for the US economy).

People are hiding in their houses and apt. showing a front in order for their neighbors not to know that they are essentially poor. We don't have large soup kitchens for now because people are hiding out and there is what you call food stamps (which many people go late at night to shop) and food pantries. People who thought they where rich, weren't rich. They where using debt to facilitate or to be more accurate supplement with either their pay for day to day life or for their lifestyle that was pushed on us day after day in order to be an american. Our society is a consumer society which if questioned by anyone with an iota of intelligence isn't in the longterm viable. If we are consuming who where is the money coming from. Not from manufacturing anymore, but from service jobs. Jobs to service the consumerism. In essence it's like the snake eating his tail because he or she is hungry.

The poor and newly poor are being hidden in order to show to the world and most importantly to our people that we have no serious problems. Can you imagine seeing people you see on television or that used to be in the upper middle class or upper class in large lines with you waiting for a job or waiting to get food. When a society has been told that they are great and it's their manifest destiny to "rule" or be right or be number one, it's hard for them to accept being on the bottom. They are scared and do irrational things when their world view is destroyed because they believe that they may be treated the same way that they used to treat people in the same circumstances. And so they hide and keep a front in order to fool people into believing that nothing is wrong and they are on top of things.

In the survival of the fittest that they push in this country, the fittest never think they will be the weak until it happens. Then they finally see how despicable having a notion like that in a civil society can be.

reply to post by schrodingers dog


This has to be the most sickening thing I have ever read. Those people(and I use the term loosely) should have a special place reserved for them in hell. The thought of that poor woman watching her lifes memories being picked apart by strangers wrenches my gut.

I have to give you credit for maintaining your composure. Had I witnessed something like this first hand,I would have gone beserk. A pox and curse upon those vultures.

This same situation is repeated daily in the US. It's not a good situation, but get used to it, because it's not going away. The US is going through a fundamental economic change that doesn't happen very often.

I'm sure the same thing was seen during the depression. Home seizures, farm seizures, and people uprooted and thrown out of their homes they had been in for a lifetime. The sad thing is our government gave these banks OUR tax dollars, and they are being allowed to take away people's homes. it shows you who the government really cares about. I guess the average citizen isn't to big to fail. Sounds like our government needs an attitude adjustment.

My main point here, just get used to it, you might be next. If you know you're going to be foreclosed on, for pete's sake, get your stuff out in advance. No one is going to help you but you. Don't pretend the problem is going away--it won't. The sadness of the situation is going to get more and more common, and the situation is even more tragic because there's not much that can be done. Good luck all, we'll need it.

SDog, you deserve the biggest HUG possible. I would do so if I could reach through this monitor.

This is a wakeup for many. If TSHTF as many are predicting then our worse enemy will be our neighbors.
I think it's time to seriously think about buying a gun. It may not stop the vultures but it will make them think before they steal my stuff.

Originally posted by schrodingers dog

Originally posted by Bhadhidar

Also, I am curious, SD, when you spoke to the lady to get her story, did you happen to ask her why she was allowing this "wonton scavenging" of her belongings to continue un-protested?

You're asking me more than I know B ...

Quite honestly I typed up this thread in haste an in a bit of a state fueled by both sadness and adrenaline.

What I was mostly trying to convey, and why I put it the "meltdown" forum is people's behavior in the moment. The lady was more of a personal thing that in retrospect I feel almost bad to have shared for it has caused indirect grief to so many of my fellow members.

These people were so frenzied in their pursuits that I would venture to guess that most of them didn't even notice her. Heck they didn't even stop when my friend pulled up in the cruiser.

My guess is that poor woman was in shock of being out in the street!

Shock can be a life-threatening condition that can cause Permanent Damage!

So I'm guessing she didn't know what to do, a shocked woman in dispair, I don't think that she could think clear about the situation when it happened!

And others took advantage of this situation.


[edit on 1-10-2009 by Chevalerous]

Originally posted by wx4caster
this is why we need to arm our citizens, any real man with any kind of morals (liek yourself) with a gun could have stood them down.

this makes me sick.

perhaps you could get some info for us to help her?

Yes.... give a gun to a distraught angry person. that sounds like a good idea!


seriously though, come on. This was a job for the police.

[edit on 1-10-2009 by Question Fate]

reply to post by schrodingers dog


I gotta admit that sometimes your posts irritate the living daylights outta me, but, this one, huge thumbs up to you!

I hate the kind of scumbags that do this kind of stuff and I am so delighted you went back and ripped them a new one!

When my house was destroyed by flood and my stuff scattered everywhere, it was the rich folks in their fancy cars that came from the other side of town and started stealing stuff. My wonderful neighbors, most of them Mexican, are the ones who ran those vultures off til I got there. What kind of morons do that kind of stuff! Just goes to show don't have to be poor to be white trash!

I am so glad the lady is okay and has lots of friends to help her. And I am sure she is very thankful for her new friend, even if she never knows your name or sees you again.

That poor dear old woman. No one should have to go through that for any reason! Those were her possesions. The lack of compassion in the world today breaks my heart. Thanks you for being there for the woman in need. You are a sweetheart. I will keep this lady in my thoughts and prayers. Hugs!

Well done SD!! Chivalry lives on. S&F matey. sometimes i feel as if there arnt many like us left....THANKYOU.

Good job SD.

Now on to more important things. Did your cop friend happen to get her name and where we could get back into touch with her? I'd like to give her some money (not much but as much as I can afford) and maybe start a fund for her. Off site of course mods. Please let me know via U2U.