A fifty-three year old woman from Nexa was charged with stabbing her landlord. According to www.news-leader.com the suspects landlord was unable to repair a hot water issue. According to witnesses a heated argument developed between the suspects boyfriend and the landlord. The suspect then stabbed the landlord in the abdomen with a long bladed knife. The victim was transported to the hospital and is in stable condition. The suspect was found and arrested, facing first degree assault charges and armed criminal action.
My first response to this article was empathy. At first response, I had empathy not for the stabbed landlord, but for the renter. After further evaluating my emotions my empathy continued, not only for the suspect in this case but for the landlord.
Prior to moving to Missouri, I had been a renter. It's very frustrating. The landlords that I have had put so many restrictions on what I could or cannot do it was ridiculous. I have had landlords who didn't want me to paint, plant anything, or fix anything myself. I even have had landlords walk into the house without knocking. These are the same people who avoided my phone calls, wouldn't or didn't want to fix a broken water heater, or a broken toilet, or even a broken sewer line. I completely understand the woman's frustrations. Although tempting, stabbing the landlord doesn't do anything but cause more problems. It is sad to think that she could not control her anger enough to think logically about the situation at hand. She needs to learn that violence is not the way to solve problems. Hopefully in jail she will be able to take some anger management classes.
As I focused on this article, I began to think about the landlord. I have never been a landlord. Perhaps, he may not have been able to afford to fix the issue at hand. He may have been trying to do the best he could.The article really did not specify why he was unable to fix the hot water problem. The Landlord, now has to worry about the hot water issues at his rental house and a medical bill
.
As I reflect on this article, I continue to feel empathy for both the suspect and the victim. This article also made me come to the realization that I am very glad that I am not a renter anymore. I am proud to be a homeowner.
The landlord neglected to repair the hot water issue and it probably isn't the 1st time he neglected repairs in his rent home. This woman's boyfriend decided to start an arguement which in turn ended up with the woman stabbing the landlord. I have 1 question for her " How did that work out for you"? She had the option of moving out and finding a better landlord but instead she chose to react violently. I feel for the landlord and hope if he is treating his renter's badly that he will change. As for the woman I hope she learns how to control her anger and to think before she reacts!
ReplyDelete