Disappointed in Columbus
I cannot begin to tell you how disappointed I am with the citizens of Columbus and their lack of respect for people who lost so much in the recent flooding and tornado. I am sure what happened to me as a flood victim, the same happened to those who also lost so much in the tornado.
My basement was flooded and I lost a lot… furniture, memorabilia, keepsakes, Christmas decorations and some things I didn’t realize because I couldn’t go through every box and bag that had been in my basement. After this wonderful group of people from Southern Baptist Disaster Relief came and helped me get all the damaged and waterlogged items bagged up and moved to the roadside, the vultures moved in immediately… all times of day and night. These vultures came, ripped open bags, dumping everything on the ground, throwing things all over my yard, leaving a complete mess. Someone even came by in the middle of the night and smashed a desk apart that was still in one piece, although it had been in 2-1/2 feet of water. At midnight one night, a car drove by and I heard a man yell, “MOVE!” while they stopped and backed up and turned onto the road beside my house where everything was until one said, “There is somebody up there.” That “somebody” was me. But the worst one was a couple that came by and told me they had found a box of six silver spoons (replacements my daughter’s deceased grandmother had bought to add to the silverware she had given her) that was worth $237… so they came back looking for more. It was something obviously not meant to be thrown out, but they didn’t have the decency to return it to me… just came to show it to me and tell me they were looking for more. I know things put on the side of the road are fair game, but come on… are there no decent people left in this town?
Never have I been more disappointed in the citizens of Columbus. While most are willing to go out of our way to help each other in times of dire need, there are those who are out just to see what they get and how they can profit from the loss others are suffering.
Now wishing to leave Columbus,
Mary Beth Vickers
Columbus
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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