Woman, 90, shoots self inside foreclosed home

[helderheid]

(CNN) -- A 90-year-old Akron, Ohio, woman who shot herself as sheriff's deputies tried to evict her from her foreclosed home became a symbol of the nation's home mortgage crisis Friday.

Addie Polk is being treated at Akron General Medical Center after shooting herself at least twice in the upper body Wednesday afternoon, her city councilman said.

U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich, D-Ohio, mentioned Polk on the House floor Friday during debate over the latest economic rescue proposal.

"This bill does nothing for the Addie Polks of the world," Kucinich said after telling her story. "This bill fails to address the fact that millions of homeowners are facing foreclosure, are facing the loss of their home. This bill will take care of Wall Street, and the market may go up for a few days, but democracy is going downhill."

Neighbor Robert Dillon used a ladder to enter a second-story window of Polk's home after he and the deputies heard bangs inside, Dillon told CNN affiliate WEWS-TV in Cleveland, Ohio.

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http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/10/03/eviction.suicide.attempt/

[bluestateguy]

1. Hope those cops are proud of themselves

Just doing their jobs...

like the guards at Auschwitz were.

[shadowknows69]

2. OMG she's still alive?

You have my prayers Addie. I can't say I wouldn't have done the same. What happens when they save this poor woman now. She'll get to die as a ward of the state?

[Barack_America]

3. Oh my God.

This just fills me with such tremendous sorrow. I think this is the first time a post on DU has really made me cry.

Has a fund been set up to help her? I'd really like to contribute.

[dana_b]

5. I feel ya Kristi1696

this is horrible. That poor woman - I'd be willing to help her out too.

[helderheid]

9. I'm speechless.

:cry:

[goforit]

4. This is proof of incompetent elected officials. Weak SOBs to pressure.

[flamingdem]

6. This has to stop. Now.

Kucinich must hammer on this issue.

[Naturyl]

7. To be 90 and still going through this garbage...

My heart goes out to this woman. In a world like this one, I think I will be ready to die long before 90. Maybe this was the last straw for her.

[ClayZ]

8. .

:cry:

[Trillo]

10. Jeebus, couldn't she just have gotten a job? /sarcasm

:sarcasm:

I heard WalMart likes elderly employees. /sarcasm

Too bad we don't have HR 676, universal single-payer Medicare. Without that, this 90-year old just jumped from the financial-forclosure frying pan into the medical-financial fryer.

[KittyWampus]

11. awwwww. :-( What a kind, concerned neighbor.

[KoKo]

12. So sad....and meanwhile the folks who are responsible still hold their jobs

and will never feel a pang of remorse or guilt...they will never be held accountable. But, Addie Polk was held accountable for their criminal acts. It's so disturbing.. Watching the cheers in the House as this Bailout of criminals was passed.

These are the darkest of times.

[helderheid]

16. it is simply WRONG.

[Kazak]

13. Dang.

:cry:

[4 t 4]

14. I received an email from the paper

they said no name was released...still working on it. Again what is she has no family? how awful that would be at 90

[Miss Chybil]

15. What are the Dems going to do about this? Obama said,

it didn't HAVE to be in the bailout bill. Are they going to bring it up seperately before the end of the year? With property values plummeting judges need to have the authority to adjust the principle on homes in bankruptcy, just like they do on cars, second homes, third homes, etc.. It's not right that a bank should be able to foreclose on your home and sell it for much less than you owed in the first place. Allowing the homeowner, who files bankruptcy, to keep their home by paying market value for it is a win/win situation. I don't get the problem - except, there will be fewer cheap homes on the market for investors to snap up and the banks may fear people would just file bankruptcy to lower their mortgage. I think if you look at how and why people file bankruptcy, for the vast majority it is the very last option.

I don't want my home's value decreased any further than it already has because foreclosures are being added to the already glutted inventory of homes on the market. Something needs to be done for Ms. Polk and the rest of us!

[whopis01]

17. And now they forgive her mortgage.

Just the government's way of sending a signal to everyone letting us know how they want us to get out from under things - shoot yourself and it will all be ok.

[Xenotime]

18. Too bad I hate guns

[1Hippiechick]

19. Every f*cking Repuke ought to have to read this and respond. THIS is YOUR version of democracy

at work. Thanks,but no thanks you self-righteous, narcissistic, elitist morons. May you all rot in Hell.