If you haven't read this Essayist series #50-51, please do now. I'll be here when you get back.
OK, keeping that in mind, here is a story from recent news.
On Sept 1, 2000 Jin-Sheng Liu, 44, owner of the Golden Wok restaurant in Brooklyn went on a $60 delivery. He was sent to an abandon house where he was met by 5 teenagers. They threw a sheet over his head, beat him senseless and was finally killed by a brick wielded by Stacey Royster, 16. The teens took the food to one of their houses and ate it.
So far one teen, James Stone, 18, pled guilty to robbery and was sentenced to 17 years. A few days ago Darryl Tyson, 19, pled the same and was sentenced to 16 years. The other three are awaiting trial.
Here's the real kicker to this horrible story: the widow came to this country two years ago. Her husband was the sole money earner for the family which includes 2 kids. Since then they have become destitute. They were living in the back room of the restaurant before the city closed it. She has to report to workfare (working for the dole) assignments all over the city. Her one son has to accompany her and can't go to school. They lost every penny they had.
Where is her $1.6 million? Is her suffering any less because her husband wasn't in one of the Towers when they collapsed? Why isn't her husband a "hero"? Oh, and what's up with that term being applied to everybody these days? I truly feel that anybody who risks their lives to fight fires are saints. They are selfless people who deserve many accolades. But every time you pick up a paper you are seeing more and more people being referred to as "heroes". When I was a kid I remember a fire down the street. We all ran over and my Uncle ran to the house and woke the people on the upper floor. Was he a hero or doing what any person with an ounce of human decency would have done? I was loading a truck one night and saw a huge road case being pushed into place that would have crushed this guy's head (who wasn't paying attention). I pushed him out of the way. Hero or human?
Compensation is a wonderful thing. The money being handed out is mostly from donations from people. Some from celebrities (Julia Roberts donated something like $100, 000) and some from working class folks. Do you think they could throw some cash to the widow of that delivery guy?