Tuesday, January 10th, 2215Weather: No real changes. Temperatures remain around 5° F during daylight hours. Enjoy the break while you can, because more snow is expected later in the week.
Events: Aside from snowdrifts in the more sparsely populated areas, most of the roads are free of snow and well-salted. The trams are running normally, which is a big relief for a lot of people.
Speaking of relief, Haven’s news is pretty dominated by the outpouring of support for the slums family in tragedy. Many have taken it upon themselves to help, one way or another. Specifically highlighted in the news are the karaoke fundraiser hosted by William Knox and Theo Sawyer, and Charlie’s Grill is mentioned as accepting donations for the needy. There’s also a small piece about citizens of the slums taking it upon themselves to repair the roof of the old house.
The Council isn’t ignoring the matter either, but really, how could they? They had already relocated the family to another house yesterday, and today the family is informed that a new marriage has already been arranged for the widow. What’s more, the woman will be marrying a man from the Granite district - meaning, her family will be getting out of the slums. Best of all, the man has offered to allow her and her children to move into his house immediately, even though they won’t be married until after a proper period of grieving (usually around thirty days or more).
That’s good news for one family, but it’s not sitting well for everyone. Alexander Saito addresses the issue on the network in the late morning hours. His post states:
Elections near, and I personally find it deplorable the way slums residents are picked up as pawns in the wars of the privileged. Maxwell Wallace and the Council try to out-do each other in a game of charity. Where is this concern year-round? For thirty years I’ve worked for the DHS, often side by side with families of the lower district in need of aid. The slums are getting attention now because it’s an easy play for sympathy and good will, but I see nothing but temporary fixes for one family. The fact is, every resident of that districts suffers hardships on a daily basis, and the average citizen is content to turn a blind eye. We write it off as ‘not our problem,’ ‘just the way things are,’ but the simple truth is that this does not have to be. It should not be. Things are the way they are because Haven runs on an antiquated system.
What happened to that family is a tragedy, but a tragedy that so easily could have been avoided. Many are quick to throw money at the problem after the fact, and I won’t say that isn’t commendable. The truth remains that we, as citizens of Haven, as human beigns, need to take a more pro-active approach. Marrying that woman into a better family is a fix for one family. Conditions in the slums are still reprehensible. Children still go to bed at night cold, dirty, and hungry. This should not be, and yet it is, only because the Council deems it so. They dole out resources and places in life as they deem necessary, and we let them. This method kept us alive in the founding of Haven. I do not believe it is vital to our survival now. We as citizens must look at the circumstances of our world and question our government. We must stand up and say no, we do not accept. This is not necessary. This is not right.
We need to elect new leadership. We need bringers of change. We need year-round compassion. We need humanity.
The post is deleted within ten minutes of its being posted, which is a damn good thing considering a great many people would consider it’s message to be outright treason. What was Saito thinking? This could mean trouble for him in the very near future.
![[info]](https://www.insanejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small}