I'm certainly not defending the actions of the "Mad Washer" in this story, but I am suggesting that perhaps we aren't taking care of the needs of a population that doesn't routinely have access to laundry services.
While many folks may feel it's not society's place to provide free washing machine services to the poor and/or homeless, perhaps if there'd been access to such services this unfortunate incident would not have occurred.
There's yet another angle to consider as well; if an individual does not have access to clean clothes or a way to clean the clothes they possess, that person has far less of a chance at obtaining a job because it is a rare occasion indeed when a prospective employer hires someone who looks disheveled and dirty.
Here in Nashville, there are just two places I know of where an individual can walk in off the street and take a shower for free. One place is the Nashville Rescue Mission, the other is the Community Care Fellowship (CCF), where I'm privileged to have my office. Laundry services are even more scarce; CCF is the only agency that provides washing machines and free soap and fabric softener, dryers and a place to fold clothes. Suffice it to say, the facility is always very busy.
The needs of the Homeless aren't large when it comes to personal matters, medical attention notwithstanding, but they are still important. We are often quick to judge them on appearance alone, yet don't consider the reasons why they may look the way they do in the first place. I wonder how many of those of us fortunate enough to have washing machines in our laundry rooms would look if we suddenly had to drag our clothes around town on our backs at 6am, trying to be somewhere near the front of a line of dozens that allows just 12 people to wash clothes per day.....
Woman, 81, Shoots Homeless 'Washer'
14 hours ago
MOBILE, Ala. (AP) — An 81-year-old woman shot a homeless man Monday morning after finding him washing his clothes in her laundry room, police said.
Ethel Sanders told people she heard noises in her laundry room and found a man standing in his underwear near the washing machine when she went to investigate, police spokesman Officer Eric Gallichant told the Press-Register.
Sanders was carrying a handgun and shot the man when he came at her, Gallichant said. Sanders fell to the ground and dropped the gun after firing, Gallichant said.
The man grabbed the gun, pointed it at Sanders and took his clothes from the washing machine, Gallichant said.
The man fled and Sanders called police just before 8 a.m. Officers caught the man at the nearby Plateau Community Center.
James Penn, 25, was taken to University of South Alabama Medical Center. Gallichant said he is expected to survive. Upon release from the hospital, Penn will be charged with first-degree burglary, Gallichant said.
