Comments on: The Washington Post‘s “Compassion Scale”

By: Jay

Jay — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 04:55:06 +0000

Oh the Post didn't milk this "morbidly fascinating" death porn for all its worth like the City Paper would. Gimme a break. That's fine, Chris, if you want an effusive story full of grisly details about the sad death of a homeless man, but don't try to pretend you have the moral highground in your desire to rubberneck and gawk at tragedy.

By: Nadia

Nadia — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 23:36:18 +0000

Thank you for writing this. Thank you for articulating what I and hopefully many other readers of that article were thinking.

By: rob in BsAs

rob in BsAs — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 20:06:58 +0000

You raise a vew good points here Chris. I think that the biggest issue I have with the WaPo article is, as you said, the lack of any probe into deeper causes. Given DC's long running record of failure on coordinating services for the homeless, people are going to find shelter where they can. And that TomHandy, is how it might be avoidable--provide people with a reasonable place to sleep that's not a dumpster. But that was not a point that the Post was willing to raise.

By: TomHandy

TomHandy — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 16:33:38 +0000

One question I'd have though, is whether or not something like this is avoidable. Is there an expectation that people will check in every dumpster before the truck does its thing? It does seem horrible that someone got compacted, but I wonder how really avoidable it is.

By: Tired

Tired — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 01:47:08 +0000

By the way did anyone stop to ask was he part of our military family? Most of them are also homeless. Also my prayers go out to the family of the 9 year old that was killed because of some young man decided that he wanted to pursue people for their own hard earn money. It makes me so sick. Both of these deaths are tragic.

By: Tired

Tired — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 01:38:33 +0000

What has happen to us are we so damn disensitized that a homeless man died because he was seeking shelter in a dumpster. He lived in MD. he could be like most mentally disturbed people that were put on the street due to the lack of funding by the government to keep homeless shelters opened .Or by the way being placed on modes of transportation (ie: buses, planes) by other states (NY) to get rid of their homeless problem. We have stopped caring about each other this is so sad.

By: WaPoster

WaPoster — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 00:11:50 +0000

What would you expect from a news organization that has recycled party 'hos expounding on faith and entertaining? At the Post the asylum has been taken over by the inmates.

Perhaps the homeless should organize a "salon" at the home of publisher Katherine Weymouth.

By: Jack

Jack — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 22:58:22 +0000

I read the story and it was reported that the man was "compacted". That means crushed to death. I don't understand what more that you want them to do. If the family didn't want to talk to them then they shouldn't make stuff up.