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HERE ARE MY THOUGHTS ON THE WILMINGTON FAMILY MURDER-SUICIDE
Published On 02-01-2009 , 12:22 AM
SO many people are asking themselves and each other what drove the Wilmington man, who authorities say is responsible for shooting to death his wife, their five children and then himself, to commit such a crime.
"So very sad," said a lady in the beauty shop. "Desperation," remarked another customer as the morning's conversation continued to focus on the deceased parents, Ervin and Ana Lupoe, who had worked at Kaiser Hospital in West Los Angeles as radiological technicians, each, it is reported, making more than $40 an hour.
While I continue to hear people who are troubled by the disregard for family life that seems to present itself on a fairly regular basis, I keep thinking we're witnessing something else here.
I'm also hearing people blame the weakening economy for these acts as many of us see lack of money to be the force behind bizarre crimes such as that committed by Ervin Lupoe. I don't think so.
While the lady in the beauty shop didn't elaborate on exactly what was "sad," the other customer offered back-up to her "desperation" comment. Lupoe, she said, was desperate because he had been fired from Kaiser and had been told by his superiors that he ought to blow his brains out.
A Kaiser spokesperson has said this is not true and it wasn't very believable when it was reported in the news.
"The man had a family to take care of and he couldn't do that anymore," this customer said with remorse in her voice.
The man and his wife were jerks. They were both fired from Kaiser for allegedly falsifying records. This act, in itself, wouldn't cause me to label someone a jerk, but this couple, each alleged to have been making a darn good salary, reportedly filled out an application with an agency for a child-care subsidy claiming their income was $7-$10 per hour.
What if the Lupoes' alleged misrepresentation of the facts had not come to light, as happened when the agency called Kaiser for verification?
Here's what if: The jerks would have used up the subsidy money that is allotted to assist a low-wage worker family to secure adequate care for their children. Child-care subsidies are not free-flowing. Agencies can only assist so many families. And Crystal Stairs, the child-development agency running the program the Lupoes applied for are to be applauded for doing their job of verifying applicant information.
But we need to think about how many other high-earning parents are out there believing nothing is wrong with stiffing the working poor and the less fortunate.
The customer at the beauty shop may have been on my same thinking path when all she could say was "sad." According to news reports, the Lupoes recently remodeled their kitchen, master bedroom and other areas of their Wilmington home. When you make a combined $80 an hour you can do things like this. When you're a parent worker earning $7-$10 an hour there is no home to remodel and without subsidized childcare the financial struggle is overwhelming.
The Lupoes like so many others in our society were greedy and Ervin Lupoe along with other issues didn't have the backbone to help his family adapt to a lifestyle of living on less.
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Comment
| | 1. | Yup! So "sad" that it is absolutely true that they were greedy and unwilling to face the struggle before them like men.
- by Pia, 02-01-2009, 3:14 PM
| | 2. | OUCH!!!! Tell it like it tis, Sister...
Hank
- by Hank Wilfong, 02-01-2009, 8:42 AM
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