[StBernard] St. Rita's Verdict

[Westley Annis]

>From MSNBC: "Nursing home owners found not guilty in 35 Katrina deaths"


Jer's Response: You know, this topic I stood away from because of the
sensitive nature of the issue and until the end of trial. My heart goes out
to the victims of the tragedy, and no disrespect intended in this
communication.

In perspective, I can understand both sides of the issue. One being the
owners of the nursing home and the other being the state representing the
victim's/decease's survivors. 

One thing still bothers me, and I didn't get the opportunity to sit in the
courtroom to hear all the testimony.

I will agree to this: If it were MY loved ones in the nursing home, I most
certainly would have bee-lined it over to the nursing home to pick up my
dad, mother or loved one and get the heck out of town thereafter. No, we
wouldn't have known the levees would have failed, but then again why were we
racing to save our own skin and leave our loved ones in the hands of the
unknown? Many brought the important papers and pets. How is it that we
forgot about our most cherished possession, humans, knowing that the worse
storm predicted on a path to destruction would make some sort of mess? 

Yes, levees failed and we all knew there would be breaches, etc. knowing
that mud does that sort of thing. 

Now, on the other hand. The owners are responsible for their occupants.
Plenty of time to move the infirmed as was hospital patients were
forewarned. If it were my responsibility, I wouldn't have depended upon the
ill there being picked up by their loved ones. I would have made it a policy
(or followed an established policy if any, to protect them at all costs by
escorting them to higher ground.

So, in summary. It does take two to tango. Responsibility is shared by all.
Do not depend on others to get the job done if you want a failsafe measure
to be in place. Be proactive and think the worse, but expect the best. 

With this behind us, each and everyone in the issue has to establish some
degree of conscience for their inability to act properly. WE do not depend
upon others when the price is so precious by either failure to communicate
or the passage of the baton to others relied upon. 

It's too late for the lives lost who certainly didn't deserve to die as
such. 

Finally, don't be complacent in any future storm which has a grave
consequence -- if only in our minds. Someday I may be in a nursing home, and
hopefully, someone in my family or care will see to it that as a
Sicilian--(no pun intended, but dismayed & angry), I won't have "to swim
with da fishes".


--jer--