Blame

Louisiana Attorney General Charles Foti Jr. has charged Mable and Salvador Mangano Sr., St. Rita's Nursing Home, New Orleans, owners, with 34 counts of negligent homicide. The defendants claim that since they were never informed of the mandatory evacuation, they independently decided that for the safety of the frail patients, it was better not to move them. They called all the families of the patients and informed them of the nursing home's decision, and gave the families the choice to evacuate the patients themselves, which was done for six of them.

Perhaps the blame should be shifted to those families that didn't pick up the patients -- after all, the families are the legal guardians and make the decisions for them. While it is somewhat tragic, it's not overwhelmingly so to me as these are elderly people who didn't have much time left anyway. I want to see the parents of children who drowned get charged -- not that I think they need more pain in their lives, but because once in a while I like a good drama!

Meanwhile, remember that family that stayed behind b/c they couldn't bring their fourteen pets? And then the grandmother died and the wheelchair-bound mother tried to get her daughters to commit suicide with her after three days? And in the end they only saved two of the dogs, but had to leave them behind anyway? Can we bring THEM up on charges please? Negligent homicide, attempted murder (the mother of her daughters), child abuse/neglect, and cruelty to animals. If they had left, abandoning the pets, we'd only get to charge them with cruelty to animals. Man, that'd make a hilarious row on TV.

Yes, I do know I'm going to Hell.