Financial Problems Spur Death Of Six
 Tuesday, October 7th, 2008 by Connie T.
You may have heard Congressman Dennis Kucinich bring up the plight
of Addie Polk before the House of Representatives, right before they approved the $800 - $850
billion bank bailout plan. Addie is a 90-year-old woman in Akron, Ohio, who was behind on mortgage
payments for the home she's lived in since 1970.
As sheriff's deputies were arriving to
evict Polk from her residence for defaulting on her payments, Addie took a gun and shot herself
in the chest. Luckily for Addie, she is expected to recover from the gunshot wound, and mortgage
finance company Fannie Mae (yes, that
one) is dismissing its foreclosure action and forgiving the remaining balance of Addie's
mortgage.
But Addie is far from the only one taking desperate measures in desperate
financial times. Sadly, a 45-year-old Los Angeles man, with a finance degree but who had been unemployed
for several months, turned his financial woes into a murder-suicide on Saturday. He shot and killed
six people, including himself. His wife, their three children (19, 12, and 7), his mother-in-law, and his own
body were found by the LAPD, along with a will and two suicide notes. Their names have
not yet been released to the media.
I write this not to depress y'all, but to let you
know that many families are suffering right now, and hurting one's self or others is the
wrong way out. If you or someone you know is need of help, don't ever
let death be an option. The National
Suicide Prevention Lifeline is available 24/7, is free and confidential, with over 132 crisis
centers nationwide waiting to take your call and provide you with an immediate ear to listen, and
advice to help you through it. Just call 1-800-273-TALK to reach someone who cares.
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