Eight Homeless Youth Die in New Orleans Fire – What Does It Say About Us?

[kpete]

Published on Wednesday, December 29, 2010 by CommonDreams.org
Eight Homeless Youth Die in New Orleans Fire – What Does It Say About Us?

by Bill Quigley

Eight young people, who the Fire Department said were “trying to stay warm,” perished in a raging fire during the night in New Orleans. The young people were squatting in an abandoned wood framed tin walled warehouse in a Ninth Ward neighborhood bordering a large train yard. The young people apparently had a barrel with wood burning in it for heat. Officials said this was the city’s most deadly fire in twenty five years.

The eight young people, estimated to be in their late teens and early twenties, remain unidentified. “We don’t know their IDs,” said the Fire Department, “they were so burned we cannot even tell their genders.”

Audrey, a young woman with brown dreads and a Polish last name, arrived at the scorched scene. She spent the night in the warehouse a couple of times. Because last night was so cold she and a few others begged money from people in the French Quarter and got enough to spend the night in a hotel. Do you know who was in there? “Usually 10 to 15 people, nobody uses last names, but Katy, Jeff, Sammy, Nicky, John and Mooncat usually stay there,” she sobbed. Why did people stay here? “A lot of freight hoppers stay here,” she said, pointing to the nearby trains. “We are just passing through, hopping trains. We don’t have any money.” Behind her a group of young people were crying and hugging as they picked up pieces of a navy blue sweatshirt from the burnt remains.

There are an estimated 1.6 to 2.8 million homeless youth in the US, people between the ages of 12 and 24, according to a June 2010 report of the Center for American Progress. Most are homeless because of abuse, neglect, and family conflict. Gay and transgender youth are strikingly over-represented.

the rest:
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2010/12/29-0

[lunatica]

1. I saw this on the news. It's tragic

Homelessness is a cruel way to live for everyone involved. It's a toxic disease on society and our government isn't doing anything to stop it or even stem it. Banks are putting people out of homes the banks can't even sell and the government gives them our money and continues giving tax breaks to the rich.

It's more than tragic. It's shameful. The death of those children is our government's fault. Starting with Katrina and Bush's ugly reaction of indifference. And it continues with the present administration.