Lynch at Large

The Benton Courier has a story today that should stir the moral conscience of anybody who still gives a damn about his fellow human being. The details are harrowing and I am ashamed of my own attachment to possessions and material goods. Our country is in sorry damn shape.

A South Market Street house was condemned on July 11 after personnel from the Benton police and fire departments responded to a medical emergency and found two women living in what authorities called “deplorable conditions.”

The structure was condemned, but the owner, Leroy Nalley of Nalley Real Estate, has said he believes the house can be repaired to make it suitable for occupancy.

On the other hand, maybe these freeloaders should take personal responsibility for their lives, get jobs, and move on.

According to a police report, the 62-year-old woman has Parkinson’s disease and a deteriorating spine and the daughter had numerous sores and scratches from what she told police were “flea bites.”

As always, the business community can be counted on for both fiscal responsibility and sound moral leadership.

“There are other houses worse off than this one,” Nalley said in reference to his rental property. “But nothing is done about it.”

The two residents of the home, a 62-year old woman and her daughter, told police that they have lived in the home they are renting from Nalley for three to four years. Nalley said that they have been renting the house for $360 a month and he could not remember if they made a deposit.

The description includes rats, mice, soggy floors, collapsed ceilings, and intolerable plumbing conditions.

Those of us who have been so richly blessed should be thankful for warm beds, hot water, air conditioning, and the ability to live in dignity. Thank you Lord.