The shame that is Joplin, Missouri right now

There's Joplin, Missouri, coming together and rebuilding after what was a horrible and very tragic tornado wiped out too much of the town and its hospital, sure. That's the good part--that they came together and people from the region and nation are helping them do just that.

We all get that.

It's covered well and some more today, in our Kansas City Star newspaper:

Joplin family, victim of ‘storm chasers,’ moves into rebuilt home

(Link to story at bottom of this post).

The good news is that this family is in their rebuilt home.

That's the good part, sure. Good for them and good for everyone who has helped.

Unfortunately, here's the flip side of Joplin, Missouri:

The bad news is that there are too many people, groups and companies trying to take advantage of the victims, as the article in The Star points out:

"Dozens of families trying to rebuild their homes have encountered contractors accused of doing shoddy work or worse — skipping town with their money and without doing the work."


Joplin mosque razed in fire; 2nd blaze this summer

JOPLIN, Mo. (AP) — A mosque in southwest Missouri burned to the ground early Monday in the second fire to hit the Islamic center in little more than a month, officials said.

The fire at the Islamic Society of Joplin was reported about 3:30 a.m. Monday, the Jasper County Sheriff's Office said. The sheriff's department said the building was a total loss.

The article goes on to mention that not only was this the second fire to hit the center in little more than a month but that it was the third fire to hit them, too: "A blaze at the same building July 4 caused minor damage and was determined arson."

You would think everyone in Joplin would understand the need for rebuilding. You would think everyone there would be at least preoccupied with the rebuilding of the town, first, but that they'd also be far more sympathetic and empathetic to anyone and everyone who suffered a loss.

And get that disgusting timing--someone apparently setting fire to someone's place of worship on our own "Independence Day." What should be a holiday turns into a disgusting, sinking feeling for people. They are Americans, after all, like it or not.

Arson would be the last thing that would come to someone's mind there, wouldn't you think, given the loss, losses and damage from their tornado?

If not would be, it at least should be the last thing on anyone's mind, no?

Nationally, with this Joplin loss for these people of the Islam faith on top of the shooting yesterday in Wisconsin of the six people who died and injuring three others in, again, their place of worhsip, it's nothing if not revolting and disgusting.

As people of Joplin and Missouri and Wisconsin and the nation and world, we should be better than this. We should be smarter than this.

Unfortunately, it doesn't look like any form of true, diagnosed insanity would explain away the setting of the fires in Joplin. That seems to be our only hope--that is, that both the arsonist in Southern Missouri and the shooter in Wisconsin are truly, certifiably insane.

It seems to be our only collective hope, their insanity.

Unfortunately, only naked, stupid selfishness and greed can explain the people who have tried or would try to take advantage of the people rebuilding there.

Links: http://www.kansascity.com/2012/08/05/3745161/in-joplin-a-rebuilt-home-and-renewed.html


http://news.yahoo.com/joplin-mosque-razed-fire-2nd-blaze-summer-160342127.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/06/us/shooting-reported-at-temple-in-wisconsin.html?pagewanted=all