The Most Ridiculous Statement Ever

This morning, I read a story about a refugee family from Hurricane Katrina that resettled in Maryland by virtue of the generocity of the DiMaggio family. The DiMaggio's had an extra, vacant house and donated it to the Brown family, who had lost everything in the storm. The Brown family returned the favor by vandalizing the house and trashing it throughout.

Why would they do this? It really is confounding. But the explanation given by a spokesperson for a charity ranks as the most ridiculous statement ever:

"There are times when people expect a grateful victim," said Ande Miller, the executive director of National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster, a Virginia association of faith-based institutions and other disaster relief agencies.

"We don't always pay attention to the fact that they've had a terrible thing happen to them, and it's hard to be grateful when your home was just destroyed. You have to put in perspective what we're asking them to be grateful for."

By this logic, because of Katrina the Browns have an excuse for the following behavior:

[M]ost of the Brown family left for Louisiana on Sunday without so much as a "thank you" to the congregation, church members said.

When Firm Foundation Worship Center pastors and several members of the congregation visited the home shortly after the Sunday service, they found piles of donated clothing littering the porch. A trampoline lent to the children was slashed. A small hole around the electrical socket in the bathroom is now much larger. Trash, broken glass and clutter filled the house, said the DiMaggios, who have since cleaned up with help from volunteers.

"We gave them a house to live in for free, so that they could work and save their money to get back on their feet," said Marge DiMaggio. "They had nothing when they came, and we were happy to help them. We passed on donations that came to us for them." Donations included a car, a refrigerator, washing machine and clothing for the family.

The DiMaggios trid to help out a family, and this is the thanks they get. But it's OK to act this way. A natural disaster displaced the Browns, so they have the right to take advantage of other people's generocity and act like animals. Right.