The Tragedy of Indifference

Published January 30, 2009 @ 10:20AM PT

Every now and again when I'm scouring the web, I'll come across something that stops me in my tracks. Something that makes me sick to my stomach- literally. Something that bothers me so deeply I think about it for days.

Well, this is one of those stories.

Here's an excerpt, straight from the The Detroit News:

It starts with a phone call made by a man who said his friend found a dead body in the elevator shaft of an abandoned building on the city's west side.

"He's encased in ice, except his legs, which are sticking out like Popsicle sticks," the caller phoned to tell this reporter.

"Why didn't your friend call the police?"

"He was trespassing and didn't want to get in trouble," the caller replied. As it happens, the caller's friend is an urban explorer who gets thrills rummaging through and photographing the ruins of Detroit. It turns out that this explorer last week was playing hockey with a group of other explorers on the frozen waters that had collected in the basement of the building. None of the men called the police, the explorer said. They, in fact, continued their hockey game.

The hem of a beige jacket could be made out, as could the cuffs of blue jeans. The socks were relatively clean and white. The left shoe was worn at the heel but carried fresh laces. Adding to the macabre and incongruous scene was a pillow that gently propped up the left foot of the corpse. It looked almost peaceful.

What happened to this person, one wonders? Murder in Motown is a definite possibility. Perhaps it was death by alcoholic stupor. Perhaps the person was crawling around in the elevator shaft trying to retrieve some metal that he could sell at a scrap yard. In any event, there the person was. Stone-cold dead.

There are two things about this story that I find so devastating.

First, this story illustrates the tragedy of not having a home. The vulnerability. This tragic state where one can end up frozen in a block of ice in an elevator shaft. No person should have to meet their death in such an undignified and unfortunate manner. Where was this mans family? What happened in his life that he resorted to life on the streets? Will anyone mourn his death? These are questions I ask myself when I see homeless people who appear to have given up, who have resigned to the streets.

Second, the indifference of those who found him is perhaps most unsettling. The Detroit News Article goes on to describe how the "urban explorers" figured someone else would report this man's death. Now, I don't want to believe that the majority of people would be equally as heartless in this situation. But then again, how is this any different then when we shun those living on the streets? When we ignore them and chalk up their predicament to personal faults? Or that they "chose" to live this way? When we fail to take matters into our own hands to see that these societal injustices stop claiming lives?

See, I know this is a story about the tragic fate of one man in Detroit. But I think it's more than that. It's an analogy for the mindset of so many people when it comes to homelessness. They are indifferent. They couldn't be bothered by somebody else's misery, somebody else's pain. "Someone else will fix it." "Someone else will fund that shelter." "Someone else will help that child have a chance at a better future."

Indifference is, indeed, tragic.

[Photo: Inside the abandoned Roosevelt Warehouse in Detroit, a body lies frozen in a block of ice. (By Max Ortiz / The Detroit News)]

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Comments (19)

The only silver lining is that his friend had the humanity to realize this needed to be reported. There are many living out there without regard for others...perhaps his views will touch those he knows.

Posted by Slacker Productions on 01/30/2009 @ 10:51AM PT
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Dear god. I didn't even make it through the news article extract before the tears started. How absolutely awful in so many ways.

I really do believe that blogs like yours are so important in this--I'm really glad that Change.org is hosting a homelessness blog and that you're writing about this issue every single day, in a visible space, because it's so easy for a lot of us to never think about this, to never deal with it, to never learn about it or discuss it. And that is absolutely one of the problems among myriad problems--the fact that we just don't talk about it much as a society; we're not forced to really confront the realities of it--the very personal, painful realities of it for so many people.

Sometimes I find myself feeling terribly pessimistic about this culture we live in that often feels so intensely me-first, judgmental, and everyone-for-him-or-herself in nature, but if it's ever going to change, efforts like yours are going to be a huge part of effecting that change, Shannon. You're making sure that people can't ignore other people, and you're working hard to dispel stereotypes and open hearts. Thanks for all you're doing.

Posted by Stephanie Ernst on 01/30/2009 @ 11:07AM PT
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I saw this a cried. I am 60 and disabled have a husband also disabled and a son. We are always short of funds, but we are bless. This man could have been in the service of our country and did not get the service he needed. He is with God now and he won't hurt anymore. May God bless his family, because it says do not leave your brother without. We should look at our self when we see families homeless too. God help our country.

Posted by Therese Downing on 01/30/2009 @ 11:51AM PT
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When I saw this picture I had to take a second look thinking to myself ...that's not what I think it is???? Yes, it is. Like you said it stopped me in my tracts. Such a feeling of sadness fills me. I can't tell you how glad I am that your here and giving a strong, passionate voice to the homeless. God knows they need one.

One out of the many parts of this tragic story that really got to me is the fact that these guys were playing hockey when they found the man and continued to play..... I have to ask how heartless can one be? It's already hard enough to see what happen to the poor man let alone think about how these guys couldn't care any less for another human. As Stephanie said thank you for all your doing.

Posted by Andrea M on 01/30/2009 @ 12:50PM PT
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This is such a horrible story. Coincidentally, I wrote a post about the future of Detroit today, before I'd even heard about this. It gives a sense of just how on the brink the city is.

http://uspoverty.change.org/blog/view/detroit_amp_the_reality_of_shrinking_cities

Posted by Leigh Graham on 01/30/2009 @ 01:37PM PT
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I'm very sad for this man but unfortunately this happens to a lot of people in cities. With giant cities comes some indifference.

This made me think of the poor man who froze to death in his own home in Michigan a few days ago. He was 93 and they shut off his power and he froze-- in four layers of clothes and a jacket, he died a painful death in his own home, probably without even understanding why it was happening. How does this happen? We should all be taking care of each other, even if there is no immediate family. Doesn't our society value that?

There seems to be an element to our society that "trickles" down from our government (thanks to lots of wars etc.,) an attitude that life is cheap. It certainly seems to be getting cheaper. And this attitude is spreading. I fear for people in future generations. I wonder if they will have any value unless they are wealthy.

I think cities need to set up groups (of paid employees, not volunteers) that check up on the homeless and the very old who live alone, to make sure this kind of thing doesn't happen anymore. We need to get back to the empathy that this country used to have but we also need to value empathy and pay people who are given the job of checking up on the homeless. Maybe even employee some of the homeless to do this themselves. Cities should pay for this. There is a value in not allowing the helpless to die on the streets, or in their own homes.

Posted by Shelly T on 01/30/2009 @ 01:58PM PT
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Here is the story of the man who froze in his home in Michigan.
http://tinyurl.com/cd78gw

After he died, the utility company who shut off his power raised their rates.

Posted by Shelly T on 01/30/2009 @ 02:03PM PT
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I have pondered homelessness myself and our experiences with obtaining legal representation in our issues.

How many others tried to fight the "injustice" and were processed by the system, losing at every turn ?
How many banks lost their customers life savings before there was this crisis ?
How many attorneys told their clients that they would not win, to accept it, that it would cost too much ?

We know that events cascade, a losing divorce attorney leaves a client bankrupt, the client gets bitten by a dog causing nerve damage, they retain another attorney probono, after five years this attorney deserts apparently stealing settlements. They make some mistakes and become dependant on the State and the good will of others.

What if there are no others.......

Posted by jowey styxx on 01/30/2009 @ 03:50PM PT
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Shane I have to say that your post is very disturbing and uncalled for. I will not say anything more because I know it's not worth it.

Posted by Andrea M on 01/30/2009 @ 04:16PM PT
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This picture literally shows the tip of the iceberg. The whole issue of homelessness in my opinion cannot be answered simply by seeing them as homeless. There have been times I have been without a "front-door". I never considered myself homeless. It is against the concept of modern society to choose to live outside, as all people did originally. Given the choice I feel more comfortable outside. There is so much pressure to living inside, bills, rent/mortgage, maintenance, mow the lawn, paint, yard work ..... looking good ..etc. The big issue to living outside is the constant need to hide or find a safe space where you are not bothered. Local governments often fear that if they provide space and facilities for homeless communities, that they are inviting a shanty town to develop. My point here is that there is a distinction between people who are homeless and want to live in a home and the outside people. Really it has come down to cities treating people who choose to live outside with the same disdain as a stray dog. Help the Homeless and give space to the Outside People

Posted by John Fairlamb on 01/30/2009 @ 06:56PM PT
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Good point...

At one time I had the idea of having some property for my stuff, place to hang my hat and then travel. So much for that idea, taxes, meddlesome HMO's, vandals and obnoxious "citizens" checking things out....

Posted by jowey styxx on 01/31/2009 @ 09:18AM PT
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Although this is a disturbing photo, it is reality! I agree that the Homelessness Issues must be pushed to the front of the line, for all to see. Even in hard economic times, Americans still live at a higher standard than most developing countries but as human-beings, this looks like a photo from a 3rd world nation. Shame on ALL of US. As our economy worsens, there will be more of these horrible scenes, in a lot more cities.
Thank you Shannon for keeping it real!

Posted by leatrice brantley on 01/30/2009 @ 09:17PM PT
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I am always shocked at how so few people know what was the most costly single legeslation in america, that is, "uniform building code". This code establishes without regard to ability to pay for it, what is " adequate housing". Today in CA, the uniform building code is over 400 pages fine print, each line raises the cost of a potential building. I want somebody to tell that guy who froze to death because he could not afford "adequate housing" as defined by a really rich guy, that it was in his best interest such laws were passed.

I have lived in other countries where such laws are not in existance and in not a single instance have I seen buildings built to the standard set as "minimum" in CA. 100% of those intellegent builders felt that the building codes were not worth the money it takes live up to um. NOT ONE, and I have been out of the country 18 years. I am a builder and I look at every building I am in as to it's design and compliance to normals in buildings.

IT is time to allow land owners to ' opt out' of traditional building codes. It is time to allow independent "safety" inspectors to certify buildings on safety regs only, ( gas vents, elecrical grounds, and sewers). Allow land owners to provide legal housing to the lowest income people by building to a standard that those on the bottom teir can afford.

Posted by Mohammed abufarsi on 01/30/2009 @ 09:51PM PT
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Good point about the UBC. Unfortunately American businesses have little integrity - note the high profile banking scandal. Without the code they will build houses that will fall apart months after the sale, be inadequately insulated and have sub standard components (a refection on those providing them). The builiding will have the best vents, electrical grounds and sewers.

As it stands the inspectors are in the pockets of some builders and strict with those who do not pay for play. Any legal protections from such practices are lost to those who can pay, it is not the law that is overlooked it is the details.

Posted by jowey styxx on 01/31/2009 @ 08:59AM PT
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I think I am not the only one who walks around with a terrible hollow sadness aching inside me over the fact that indifference is such a huge part of our society. All the shallow crap seems so much more important: Wall Street, Wal-mart, credit cards, NCLB (another part of a "system" that is equally odious). In all the "systems" that are the threads, and the loom for that matter, of the tapestry that is our society, there continues such a pervading mentality of "Them vs. Us." I really want to continue to be the ever-idealist and optimistic person who declares that it begins with individuals, that as individuals who seek to do and speak up for everything that is honorable and good, decent and kind, that we can banish indifference and unkindness and superficial nothingness that, lamentably, is "us." But I am sad and wonder if anyone would even listen.

Posted by Evie Romero Montoya on 01/31/2009 @ 06:16AM PT
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National Coalition for Homeless Veterans
Homeless Veterans

FYI

Posted by jowey styxx on 01/31/2009 @ 09:27AM PT
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This is such a disheartening story... I can't believe the people who found the body continued to play hockey...

Posted by LaQuisha Hall on 01/31/2009 @ 10:06AM PT
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When I saw this picture it made me look twice because I didn't think I saw what it was. It is sad to think we have individuals in our population who find themselves scrounging for anything. It is surprising to realize who is living on the streets in cardboard boxes, in off the way places, on doorsteps of frontage stores or those who hide by sneaking into unlocked vehicles.
Thank you for being there to educate and to help to show alternative explanations of what can be the possibilities.

Posted by Jim Markusic, Ph.D. on 01/31/2009 @ 05:11PM PT
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I think indifference has become like a plague in our country as the feeling of only self is important, priority. If one looks at the response to crime against street people, it is disheartening, for the murder of a homeless friend of mine that was twenty four yrs old, six months pregnant for example. The two men that murdered her, one got 5 yrs probation, not a single night in jail, the other got 5 yrs in jail, as he had a record. Another friend was murdered by another female, her throat slit ear to ear, her murderer got 5 yrs as she had a record and been to state prison, not just jail three previous times. Her murderer got ten years previously for sales charge. Rarely is there equal justice importance or significance to or for people like us. I know if I were murdered today or tomorrow my past would justify it as it does with so many. My murderer would get a few yrs. maybe, but my retired neighbor, a social worker and foster parents' murderer would be pursued and get significant time. It doesn't matter what I could or would do or how long its been since I had a past. Its reality and its not right but what it is by the majority of society. It is what it is and hopefully here through conversation, education, perhaps things will change one day. Theres hope and faith that say perhaps so in my heart. As do the countless pictures, memorials and letters in reference to so many that were part of my life, for their children and friends, family.

Posted by SusanE Tisdale on 01/31/2009 @ 06:44PM PT
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Author

Shannon has worked in homeless shelters and service organizations in San Francisco, the Triangle region of North Carolina, and currently in the greater Boston area. She is a graduate student studying housing and urban policy at Tufts University.