I was greeted by two stories on page 5 of this morning’s Philadelphia Daily News. The first story is about a 92 year-old woman who perished in her Strawberry Mansion rowhouse yesterday when her kerosene heater caused a house fire. An elderly man who lived with her narrowly escaped the blaze.
“We were here yesterday. I told them. I told them it was dangerous,” the survivor’s daughter cried out after learning about the fatal fire.
The woman said she’d come to let the man know she had taken care of a gas bill, that he and [Martha] Frazier wouldn’t have to use a kerosene heater any longer…
…Frazier lived on Stanley Street, near James G. Blaine Elementary School, for more than 50 years, and neighbors referred to her as “Mom” but said she didn’t come out all that often. Frazier had at least one son who had died, a niece said, and neighbors believed that Frazier also had a grandson.
“I don’t think she had too much family left,” said George Glover, 88.
Fire Chief Richard Davison said firefighters got the blaze under control by 9:10 a.m. and investigators had not determined the fire’s cause. Numerous people who gathered on the street said the home had no heat and that Frazier and her housemate were using a kerosene heater to keep warm.
“I know she was having a real hard time with the cold,” Harley said.
Two things about this. First, this is why we need to pay for heating assistance in the winter. Second, this is why the goddamned utility companies are not supposed to cut off your heat in the winter months.
The second story is about a 21 year-old man who was murdered over his pair of $300 Beats by Dr. Dre headphones. He was killed on Saturday, but his corpse remains in the morgue because his family cannot afford to pay the $2,200-$2,700 it will take to pay for a funeral home. Even worse, potential witnesses refuse to cooperate with the police.
[Christian] Massey’s cousin, Pebble Hill, echoed her aunt’s sentiment that residents of the neighborhood where the young man was slain have been uncooperative in helping to track down his killer.
“My cousin was a beautiful person. He was like a brother to me, and right now, my family can use all the support they can get,” she said. “This has been a great strain on our family emotionally, financially. We love all the outpouring that my family’s received.”
Even though Christian Massey was 21, he only graduated from high school in June. He had started high school at a special-needs facility that is part of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, but he was able to transfer into the Marple Newtown school district where he participated in basketball and football. His football coach is trying to raise money for his burial, and you can help by calling the Marple Newtown School at (610) 359-4215.
These are stories of poverty, and you can react to them with empathy and compassion or dismiss these people as deserving of their fate and not your problem. It’s your choice.