As a society in general, we have to do better with our lives and the lives of those we are responsible for.
This week, just days after Christmas, there were a string of crimes or developments that reek of negativity, tragedy and insensitivity. And while these situations would be disturbing any time of the year, it is especially frustrating when they occur during the holidays…sacred time.
On Tuesday, Fort Wayne police officials discovered the remains of a missing 9-year-old girl who lived in a trailer park with her mother and two younger siblings. The mother moved to the trailer park to care for her ailing father who passed away Dec. 3. While the mother’s act can be considered noble, there was an element of danger present because the trailer park was a common residence for sex offenders. As a matter of fact, the young girl’s grandfather was a convicted sex offender.
While I understand the mother’s desire to care for her father, she should have first thought of the potential danger her children would be in by residing in a place that is infested with convicted predators. When you have children, your entire focus should be them and their safety. This means that there are some things and people you may have to forego in an effort to be a responsible parent.
The mother, Tarah Souders should never have exposed her children to such a dangerous situation.
Souders left her three children with a resident in the trailer park for a week because she had the flu. That resident eventually confessed to the killing of little 9-year-old Aliahna Lemmon. He bludgeoned her repeatedly with a brick before he dismembered her. Officials found Lemmon’s head, hands and feet in a garbage bag near her grandfather’s trailer.
In other bizarre news, two women currently face charges for claiming to have been victims in the Aug. 13 stage collapse at the Indiana State Fair. The incident resulted in seven people losing their lives and 58 others injured.
Not only did the two women lie about being hurt during the tragedy, they were not even at the concert.
Greed will make people do some crazy things.
Speaking of greed, one Indianapolis man lost his life this week after he attempted to rob a Westside-area Kroger store. Specifics of the case are still a bit sketchy, but what is known is the suspect, Jeremy Atkinson placed a hard object into the back of a female employee and forced her to the store office in an attempt to rob the Kroger on West 71st Street. Atkinson was then shot in the face by the store manger. Atkinson was later pronounced dead.
All three of the aforementioned incidents occurred this week; just days after Christmas. All of them could have been completely avoided if each person involved in their specific instance would have used better judgment.
As we embark on a new year and we make our long list of resolutions, I hope an item at the top of each of our lists is to simply be better people. As we grow in age, the goal is for childish things to end and for us to mature and become responsible adults. Our society seems to fall a bit short on that sometimes.
There seems to be a sense of entitlement by some people. They feel they are owed something or can do whatever they wish, regardless of the legalities; that’s where the problems begin.
Michael Plumadore, the man who allegedly dismembered little Aliahna Lemmon thought he had the right to end the life of a child. He felt as if he was entitled to do that.
Each of the women who were arrested for falsely claiming to be victims of the State Fair tragedy felt entitled to money that was specifically designated for actual victims.
And Jeremy Atkinson felt entitled to take money that he didn’t earn.
There are so many contributing factors that lead people to behave in such a conniving and malicious way…it would take an entire year’s worth of editorial space to outline all the elements. However, what I can do with the space I’m allotted this week is encourage people to simply try to be better in 2012. Despite your circumstances or the crummy cards you may have been dealt, I encourage everyone to just try to be a nicer, more productive and responsible person. The small efforts turn into big accomplishments over time.
Happy New Year!
You can email comments to Shannon Williams at shannonw@indyrecorder.com.
