Not so Proud of these Hoosiers

A couple of stories that have made the news don't make me very proud of my state. Granted, these are isolated instances that are NOT reflective of the populace of Indiana as a whole, and I thank God for that! Still, stories like these don't just make me ask 'WTF?!', but they make me sad as well.

You're probably familiar with both, though one went national thanks to the world wide web. The other has gotten a lot of media attention within the state. The first involves the tragic and preventable death of a little girl just before Christmas. The story is frightening, nightmarish, and sad. It bolsters my belief that people ought to take a course/test in havin' kids before they do so. If you haven't read/heard the story, check out the latest details.

http://www.indystar.com/article/20111228/NEWS02/112280328/1001/news

If you're not shakin' your head and wonderin' 'WTF?' yourself, re reard the story until you do. I just cannot imagine anyone knowingly takin' their children into a cesspool like that, no matter how ill her own parent might be (the fact that her father was also a convicted sex offender not withstandin'). At least the little girl is no longer sufferin'. I hope Heaven is far better than the Hell on earth she endured in her short life.

The second story is disturbin' for many reasons:

http://www.indystar.com/article/20111228/LOCAL18/112280315/2-women-accused-faking-injuries-collect-from-State-Fair-victims-funds?odyssey=modmostview

I guess it's inevitable that people will see an opportunity to gain in a tragedy of this nature, and will allow their greed and/or sense of entitlement to lead them. The fact that the one didn't have the sense to remember that the concert never got started could almost make one laugh.

This was a premediated case of fraud. The one woman deliberately decided to fake a claim for injuries that never happened. Indiana has a five millon dollar cap on disasters such as this. The families of the people who died and permanently injured are only allowed a certain amount of money. Some of the people who were legitimately injured in the event had their claims denied - period. Yet, this didn't stop the instigator from going to the ER and carry on like a soap opera diva in an Emmy reel. The attempt to claim money for non existent injuries not withstandin', the fact that this gash took time and personnel from those truly needin' medical help! I hope to God that no one died waitin' for care while she was bein' tended to.

There are a lot of good people in Indiana. People who do good deeds and live a good life no matter their economic status, race, creed, color, and/or religion. They just don't make the news. But that knowledge doesn't keep me from wincin' at the pretty nasty black eye the people of Indiana have gotten over the last few days.