The Same Boat

There are many who would have you believe that we are each purely responsible for ourselves. Perhaps, they believe, we have an extended responsibility for our families, particularly our youth, but certainly not for our neighbors.

Unfortunately, we are all deeply connected in our modern society. The misfortune of my neighbor affects me directly, no matter how much I want to pretend it doesn’t. As our economy falters we’re beginning to see evidence of this fact.

In Washington DC, burglaries have increased by 21% in the first quarter of this year when compared with the same months in 2007. At the same time homicides fell by 11%. While the drop in homicides is certainly a positive thing, the rise in burglaries is evidence of growing economic hardship among the poorest in society.

As jobs dry up, the number of hours of work available shrinks and the cost of essential goods increases, the impact on the poorest is profound. Those who can no longer afford food and housing will become homeless or turn to crime to survive.

In both cases we pay the cost as a society. When property crimes increase, those not as drastically affected by the economic troubles become victims of crime. When homelessness increases we all pay the cost of shelters, food kitchens and emergency room visits for basic medical care.

As much as we’d like to believe that the costs of hardship are personal, they affect us all. We are all better off when our work force is well educated. We are all better off when our people are healthy. We are all better off when the population is economically comfortable. Otherwise, we get a harsh reminder that we’re all sailing along in the same boat.