Saw true desperation / poverty / evil tonight

[jdhdiggs]

I need to vent a little as I can not get the picture out of my head so I wanted share a story and maybe remind everyone how good off we are in the US.

I saw a 10 yr. old girl, maybe 50 lbs soaking wet, that had both of her legs broken in at least two places (by her parent/s or gaurdian/s) and set incorrectly (intentionally) so she is unable to even stand so that she can get more money begging for the family. I just don’t know how or why you could do that to a child.

And all I could do was turn away... A combination of deep sadness and sympathy for the child, utter revulsion that someone who should love her did this to her, and utter hopelessness- All sweeping through me at once. What do you do? Do you reward the parents in some hope that she will get some food? All I wanted to do was to take her away from that life and give her some hope.

edit: here's a brief article outlining similar circumstances: http://www.turkishdailynews.com.tr/archives.php?id=37216

Out of respect and appropriateness, I did not take a picture of her. I can assure you that it is worse when confronted with the reality than what your imagination might generate.

[steveinaz]

What can you say about something like that? I don't know....some things are just beyond words.

[PolkThug]

Wow, that's sick.

[George Grand]

I cry easy man. Why couldn't that poor baby have been properly cherished?

[jdhdiggs]

I thought my wife's response was appropriate and thought I'd share:

Yes, there is great evil in the world, even done by parents. I saw some similar things in Africa, and it is hard to deal with. It completely changes your views of things. We can't help every child, unfortunatly. We can, however, love and care for the children in our lives.

[ND13]

What the hell are you doing in Turkey??

[jdhdiggs]

I'm not in Turkey, in Saudi Arabia, just was the first article I found talking about what I saw.

It is strange to go from being in Mecca and seeing the Kaaba ( a very holy place for ALL old testement religions) in the morning and seeing that evil in the evening. A very contrasting day.

[Early B.]

We cannot be completely objective in our judgment. There are some things we simply cannot comprehend because we have not been put in such a dire situation. Are the parents evil or was this act their only means of survival?

[ledhed]

Man. I have no words. I've heard of some bad stuff but wow.

[jcaut]

We cannot be completely objective in our judgment. There are some things we simply cannot comprehend because we have not been put in such a dire situation. Are the parents evil or was this act their only means of survival?

Your first statement is true, obviously. But for me, if doing something like that was MY only means of survival, then I guess I'd be looking at the alternative to survival. There has to be a better way than that.

[Early B.]

It would be helpful to know the full story. For instance, the parents may have watched some of their children die of starvation and saw no other option. Or their culture may find this behavior acceptable. Or this particular child would have likely died from starvation, so this act "saved" her life. We don't know why they did it.

I'm certainly not defending this act by any means, but without more information, we cannot simply label the parents as evil. Besides, if you are severely malnourished, your reasoning faculties are likely to be greatly diminished, and the survival instinct kicks in.

[hearingimpared]

This story nauseating! I don't see how any parent could do that to their child. I have two boys, the second is adopted, I couldn't even fathom doing anything like that to my boys. I would rather hang myself than allow my child to suffer like that especially at my own hands.

[Mike682]

disgusting:mad:

[Mazeroth]

With the hundreds of billions we've put into this "war" we could be feeding/helping the TRULY needy in this world. That's what makes ME sick.

[hearingimpared]

With the hundreds of billions we've put into this "war" we could be feeding/helping the TRULY needy in this world. That's what makes ME sick.

We already are Maz. America feeds and gives to more people in more countries than all the other countries combined.:)

[ohskigod]

very little regard for females in that neck of the woods probably contributed to that situation James. Only thing you can truly do is know that kind of evil exists, and reafirm the fact that you could never sink to that level.

[hearingimpared]

That really is pure evil.

[janmike]

No dry eyes. Very sad indeed.

[schwarcw]

I can't even think about it, it's too sick!:(

[Fireman32]

Truely disgusting.

[Toxis]

I would be in a lot of trouble from killing both of those parents with my bare hands. I guarantee they would have a lot more than broken bones... Ever seen Saw? I'd be more mid evil than that.

[Mazeroth]

We already are Maz. America feeds and gives to more people in more countries than all the other countries combined.:)

That's not good enough.

[George Grand]

Agreed.

[reeltrouble1]

This is why the United States must remain foremost a nation of law, law fashioned to protect the people, guided hopefully, by some higher power than self, not individual groups of men. Given to their own interest's men are vile, disgusting creatures, oh, some have indeed risen above and sustained a life filled with decency most though simply cannot.

Its that lack of hope which has led many a shrink to an early demise.

RT1

[zombie boy 2000]

Hopelessness (and the void it creates in self) is at the very foundation of nearly all evils in the world.

It may help us sleep better at night to personify evil as a dictator, boogeyman, warmonger, murderer, etc, but most often it is a deep, dark emptiness in oneself.

Stories like this are beyond sad....

[ND13]

I would be in a lot of trouble from killing both of those parents with my bare hands. I guarantee they would have a lot more than broken bones... Ever seen Saw? I'd be more mid evil than that.


Medieval;) :p

[Strong Bad]

Honestly, I didn't even click the link because I know it would make me sick to my stomach just from reading some of the responses.

To take a defenseless child's future and life away is flat out a crime!

[Ricardo]

It would be helpful to know the full story. For instance, the parents may have watched some of their children die of starvation and saw no other option. Or their culture may find this behavior acceptable. Or this particular child would have likely died from starvation, so this act "saved" her life. We don't know why they did it.

I'm certainly not defending this act by any means, but without more information, we cannot simply label the parents as evil. Besides, if you are severely malnourished, your reasoning faculties are likely to be greatly diminished, and the survival instinct kicks in.

Bingo....it is easy to deplore a situation like this; it is a horrible thing and we don't understand it. But the levels of poverty and desperation that you see in some places go far beyond anyone's imagination or worst nightmares.
Sad, but true. Even sadder is the fact that there's enough money in the world to feed absolutely everyone. One of those things that you better get out of your thoughts, and thank God (whichever you believe in) for your blessings...and GIVE, GIVE, GIVE.

[George Grand]

Kick me out and call me dirty names, but I guess by all definitions, I'm a bleeding heart liberal. It appears I always have been, and always will be.

Exremely well put Tedwick, and Zombie.

[ohskigod]

I can envision no scenario in even the most desolate craphole 3rd world country where smashing your kids legs and mutilating them to get more begging money is the last and ONLY option in the face of extreme starvation.

do I understand desperation, absolutly. I acknowlege that those parents experienc a level of desperation I will never understand, but to tell me that there is NO OTHER OPTION in said situation but to smash a little girls legs with a frikkin ball peen hammer is the only option and last resort?

sorry, but I reject that on every level. Thats not desperation, thats evil. plain and simple.

[PolkThug]

This is pure evil:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15704030/site/newsweek/

[zombie boy 2000]

PThug... I made it about a quarter of the way through and had to stop reading. I'd say "pure evil" is pretty accurate...

[hearingimpared]

Got to the bottom of the first page and had to stop. Gruesome thoughts and mind images. Evil in the worst degree.

[MSALLA]

Are you f'en kidding me!!! I don't care how poor or what kind of poverty stricken area you live in. There is know plausable (pardon my spelling) excuse for any of this crap. It's primal instinct to protect your young. To use her to beg is one thing, to break her legs is beyond desperate. They had it right the first time, EVIL. As far as that sh*t in africa, I can't even think of words to describe what I'm feeling. I should never have read that article.
Thank god I live in America.

[George Grand]

A couple sad stories from todays news:

A young mans mom had to pull the plug on his life support today. He was 23 years old. He was shot in the spine some three years ago when he wouldn't give up his Allen Iverson basketball jersey. This crippled him. Last week his defibbilator malfunctioned during the night, depriving him of oxygen, and leaving him in a vegetative state. He had already forgiven his attacker, and had told his mom he never wanted to be left on life support machines if it ever came to that. She granted him his wish last night, and today his organs were donated. Yes, I cried through the entire broadcast.

In a totally unrelated story from the same city on the same day (yesterday), a 37 year old woman was shot and killed in her apartment as she sat in her wheelchair. No idea what they shot her for, and no suspects at this time.

I'll leave it to somebody else to divulge the location of these crimes against humanity.

[MSALLA]

A couple sad stories from todays news:

A young mans mom had to pull the plug on his life support today. He was 23 years old. He was shot in the spine some three years ago when he wouldn't give up his Allen Iverson basketball jersey. This crippled him. Last week his defibbilator malfunctioned during the night, depriving him of oxygen, and leaving him in a vegetative state. He had already forgiven his attacker, and had told his mom he never wanted to be left on life support machines if it ever came to that. She granted him his wish last night, and today his organs were donated. Yes, I cried through the entire broadcast.

In a totally unrelated story from the same city on the same day (yesterday), a 37 year old woman was shot and killed in her apartment as she sat in her wheelchair. No idea what they shot her for, and no suspects at this time.

I'll leave it to somebody else to divulge the location of these crimes against humanity.

Ya, I saw this too. This is sad and the city's murder rate is still rising. This was a very touching broadcast on this mornings news. But, there are bad people in every city (not just here). The fact this kid was shot over a jersey is just crazy. I don't know if I would be able to forgive the person if it had been me.

[George Grand]

Did you get the impression from the images that the family was not at all well-to-do? I don't know where that young man ever summoned the strength to forgive his attacker from. He must have had a very good upbringing, despite the financial situation. In pretty stark contrast to the story from Turkey I thought.

[MSALLA]

Really shows that money dosen't make the person. I'm glad the man had peace in his heart when it was his time to pass. Still, a real waste for someone to do this over something so trivial. I remember years ago when kids were shooting each other over sneakers.
When you see a kid like the one today, you have to ask yourself,whats different. Here is a kid from not so "well to do" circumstances and another kid probably in the same boat and shooting him for a shirt.

[mrbigbluelight]

The Congo War is pretty complicated. One reason is the struggle for control of mineral resources, especially coltran.
Coltran is a key element in cell phones, computer chips, and Sony Playstations.


What courage those doctors have in treating and dealing with the victums that suffer from fistula. To have to peer into the depths of hell everyday is beyond comprehension.

:(

[ohskigod]

those in those militias cant even be called human.

polkthug called it, its evil in its purest form.

[hearingimpared]

That's not good enough.

What is good enough? and why do you feel that way?

Agreed.

Same questions to you George . . .

[hearingimpared]

Did you get the impression from the images that the family was not at all well-to-do? I don't know where that young man ever summoned the strength to forgive his attacker from. He must have had a very good upbringing, despite the financial situation. In pretty stark contrast to the story from Turkey I thought.

I wonder if this brave young man's forgiveness changed the attacker at all? I think that poor kid who did the forgiving just did it because of his apparent great upbringing and had no alteriour motive, but one can only hope that that selfless act would soften the heart of the attacker to the point of doing a 180 in thinking and living, even if it is in prison.

[MSALLA]

I wonder if this brave young man's forgiveness changed the attacker at all? I think that poor kid who did the forgiving just did it because of his apparent great upbringing and had no alteriour motive, but one can only hope that that selfless act would soften the heart of the attacker to the point of doing a 180 in thinking and living, even if it is in prison.

I'll say this. He was a better person than me. I think I would go to my grave with hate in my heart and revenge on my mind. I hope I would be above that way of thinking, but I dought it.