Do we care?

Another mother tried to kill her children. She had no food. They had no shoes. Something is wrong with the USA.

LAREDO, TX (KGNS/CNN) - A desperate Texas mother who was denied food stamps is dead after taking a state welfare worker hostage and then taking her own life.

According to police, Rachell Grimmer walked into a Laredo, TX welfare office with her two children Monday and pulled a gun. Over the course of the seven-hour standoff, Grimmer released her hostage but then fatally shot herself and wounded both of her children.

"They were all barefoot," said Esther Jaimes, who saw the family waiting at a gas station in October. "They looked dirty, like they hadn't showered in days, and the little girl was holding a puppy."

"They were just looking around just trying to see if anyone would help them or something," she said.

The family of three moved to Laredo in July and lived in a small RV in extreme poverty.

"She was in a desperate need for help in order to feed her children, which I witnessed needed food and shelter," Jaimes said.

Grimmer's two children are in critical condition at a San Antonio hospital.

Copyright 2011 KGNS via CNN. All rights reserved.

                Do we care?

One more life is lost.

I'm  pissed off.

A mother desperate for help.

Chose death for herself and children.

Is this the USA?

The woman was barefooted and her children too.

Hungry and desperate the mother tried to kill her children

and took her own life.

People who saw her.

Said she just wanted food and help.

I'm sadden and I must do something.

No excuse for one child to be hungry.

No excuse for one mother to be homeless.

In the LAND OF THE FREE.

The leaders got a big pay raise.

1.2 billion for house Rep. to eat and sleep.

Every leader in Texas need to be held accountable.

Every person who knew this woman should of done something.

1.2 trillion on police actions.

People need real leaders.

I can't think.

I don't understand?

How did we allow this mother to think death was better then

life for herself and her children?

It is time.

For the USA to demand common sense.

Before me or you could be standing with nothing.

Hungry and desperate.

I pray someone would assist you.

                      Coyote

             Dec. 2011

Author's Note

This is very scary. Look up woman kill child. Over 300 deaths will show up. When a mother who loved and raised a child. Decide death is better then life. Our world is screw up.

Reviews

[Melati]

Cayote,

Thanks for sharing of the poem. I second it! When we talk about politics is never going to end. Our government, they do not give a damn about the homeless, the lower class, the hunger, etc. I am so sick of everything that is happening to this country. That is why, I became an independent party due to the fact neither one of them care. I have the data how much money our goverment spent for unnecessary, while there are so many people in our country are suffering. Our goverment is not using the money wisely and is not using common sense. They don't give a damn! Sorry my language, but I speak from my heart. I agree with all your comments. Thanks again for sharing!

C

[...]

Good you touched this topic. Wealthy country and so many people are living on steets. So many dont have money to feed own children thats very sad.Your words make alert about this. And thats realy great.

[Coyote Poetry]

Real life can brake your heart. This story broke my heart. We can't allow this to happen anywhere. I appreciate the comment.

[h d e rushin]

YES! This is the role of the poet as truth teller.,Not to just bring us home to
the darkened house of truth but to take us to where the shots were fired.
Whitman, Dickinson,Kipling, Dunbar, Stevens, Carlos Williams, Pound,Eliot,
Hughes, Cullen,Roethke,Brooks, Lowell,Rich, Giovanni, Baraka, Plath are
my heroes because of their truths not their lives...hder.good work

[katyj]

Such a reaful read, So sorry this happened.

[Samantha Koshiol]

Wow. This really made me think more about this subject than I usually do. You have a knack for bringing attention to strong topics with your writing. It's more powerful than the cut and dry news stories. Excellent poem, touching story. Thanks for the share.

[Kat Wildd]

Wow, I agree with the subject and like the form. Well written.

[Linear]

This is world over my friend not just confined to the USA
And it is not the land of the free, that's just propaganda.

The world is sick and getting worse by the day.....I'm sorry :O(

[Julia Mancini]

This poem honestly made me cry. It strikes home very hard, especially in the rough economic times. If America is so mighty with our American exceptionalism, how come horrible things like this happen in America? It makes me so angry and sad to think that people think that suicide and murder are the only way to get help. It's such a heartfelt poem! Well done. It's so sad that this poem even needed to be written.

[Helen Woodward]

I'm about as angry as I want to get, when I think of a mother actually being desperate to the point of choosing to kill her children to spare them hunger it makes my blood boil! Here in Australia there is no excuse for this behaviour as the single parent receives much by way of government payment to support a reasonable lifestyle...yet it still happens and this I can't fathom.
You have written a compelling intro and an emotional follow up poem, congratulations...you made me cry Coyote so full marks to you xxx

[Wolf's Dark Song]

Good question. With all the hate I've been seeing in the media about how poor people are the cause of the country's problems because they receive government benefits it makes me wonder if anyone really cares anymore.. We've been successfully pitted against each other by those in government, rich against poor, one race against another, repubs against dems. Maybe we should stop letting those in government use us this way for their gains.