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Editorial: Protect the powerless
Published Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Vulnerable: If you look this word up in a thesaurus it means helpless, powerless, in a weak position.
This word is a key word in the case against Brianna Broitzman and Ashton Larson of Albert Lea. These two former part-time nursing assistants at Good Samaritan nursing home have been charged with multiple counts of abuse to vulnerable adults.
Helpless is a place that no one ever chooses to be, but sadly age can bring about both health and mental fatigue. It can make once proud and spry people feel very scared and alone.
Powerless can be because of loss of muscle and tissue as a result of an injury or through time as you grow older because of wear and tear on your body. It may also mean the loss of mental capabilities as power in some people equates from the intelligence that they have acquired through years of study and observation.
Being in a weak position is really a culmination of being both powerless and helpless. It further sometimes requires that a person or persons will try to take advantage of your vulnerability and place you in a weak position. This will sometimes happen because of the insecurities of the person in power or because the person in power has no moral compass.
This case is very disturbing.
Most of us are taught to be the defenders of the helpless and powerless. You should protect the vulnerable or at the very least, not add to there vulnerabilities by taking advantage of what has weakened them.
Please Freeborn County Attorney Craig Nelson, defend the vulnerable. Protect the powerless.
Comments
Posted by ershb98 (anonymous) on December 2, 2008 at 9:20 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I agree that we should protect the powerless. I'm not disputing that at all. However, lets analyze this a little more. One teen (or young adult) gets terminated for swearing and then alleges this against 6 other young people who work there. It seems a little odd to me. I am just wondering if the person who alleged this is also under investigation and has been charged with anything. I can only guess that he/she is not completely innocent in this case either. I think it is a case of selfishness and jealousy that the other young adults were still able to be employed there.
Posted by Wildbill (anonymous) on December 2, 2008 at 9:54 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I also agree that we should protect the vulnerable. However, so far these girls have only been charged. I don't know their cases or what they did exactly, however we have seen their faces and names. I think we need to leave this to the courts now.
Posted by drluv2u (anonymous) on December 2, 2008 at 10:41 a.m. (Suggest removal)
As a parent and someone's child, this case is horrible on many levels. I had grandparents in a nursing home as well as have an in-law now residing in one, and there is no way to look at this without sorrow for all involved. This is a story to share with our youth in the hope they may remember and learn from it.
Posted by wingo (anonymous) on December 2, 2008 at 1:09 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I agree with this article, I only pray that the courts do the justice if they are found quilty. I also pray that the victims and their families can get thru this without a lot more pain that has already been inflicted on them.
Posted by Minniepede (anonymous) on December 2, 2008 at 2:21 p.m. (Suggest removal)
They admitted the abuse but didn't see anything wrong with their behavior.
Hope those statements and theie total lack of remorse will get them the most severe sentence possible and criminal records that makes their lives as difficult as possible.
Posted by Disgusted (anonymous) on December 4, 2008 at 7:08 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I used to think that nursing homes in smaller communities were the best because the employees knew many of the patients and would take good care of them. I am saddened to learn that this is not always true. I have been thinking about what I would do if something like this happened to a member of my family. It is hard to turn the other cheek in a matter such as this.
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