美93歲老人凍死家中 中共喉舌隱瞞細節
最近兩天,大陸各大媒體、論壇紛紛轉載了香港文匯報報導的發生在美國的一起悲劇,標題差不多都是 「美國93歲老人因欠費被停電凍死家中」一類,乍一聽來,聳人聽聞,與在中國大陸發生的一些悲慘事件簡直不相上下,但是有人很快發現,香港《文匯報》的報導與外電原始報導相比隱藏了很多具體細節,難免讓人會懷疑其背後用意。
《文匯報》報導稱,美國密西根州的93歲獨居老翁舒爾,日前因為欠繳約1,000美元電費而被電力公司限制供電,在攝氏0度的低溫下活生生凍死於家中。
報導指,當地電力公司於1月13日以欠繳電費為由,在舒爾家外安裝了一個限制供電裝置。只要用電量超過一定限度,供電便會自動中斷。同時還強調了老人凍死的痛苦過程。但《文匯報》卻忽略了一些其它重要細節。
據美聯社的原始報導,死者並非缺錢,事發後鄰居發現老人廚房的桌子上有很多錢。據死者侄兒稱,兩年前,死者還表示有60萬美元的積蓄。
其次,老人被停電,是因為電力公司安裝了欠費停電的裝置,但這個裝置只是掉閘,用戶到屋外重新開一下就可以繼續使用。但電力公司沒有對老人面對面講清楚,只是在門上留了條子。但由於天氣寒冷,老人幾乎足不出戶。
此外,老人家並不是用電取暖,而是燒煤氣。但是因為用電有問題,導致煤氣燃燒裝置出現問題。
事情發生後,引起居民的譴責,該市除了要馬上調查,立刻下令停止了所有限電裝置。
老人的悲劇死亡事件也帶動了密執根的立法委開始考慮把電力公司不准使用限電裝置寫進法律條文。
有分析稱,中共喉舌這樣的報導有一個很大的負作用,就是使得中國人看不到光明,因為天下一般黑,壞人會缺少負罪感,受苦的會覺得一切正常。
在美國,一個悲劇發生後,各界迅速反應,補救、解決問題,避免未來再發生類似悲劇。但是在大陸每天上演的卻是中共的黨官兒帶頭做惡,僱傭黑社會殺人放火,強拆民宅,無惡不作。這或許也是喉舌媒體不敢把真相說清楚的緣故吧!大紀元
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中國媒體《XXX》報導了美國93歲老人因為欠費而凍死的新聞,為此編輯查看了英文原報導,發現中文報導刻意「忽視」了其中一些細節。
1、老人被停電,是因為電力公司安裝了欠費停電的裝置,限制金額是1000美元。1000美元的電費,大概是這個寒冷地區普通家庭一個冬天的取暖電費。更為重要的是:這個裝置只是讓電掉閘,用戶到屋外重新開一下就可以繼續使用。(做為警告?)
2、這個老人不缺錢,死後發現他桌子上很多錢。
3、老人家並不是用電取暖,而是燒煤氣。問題是沒有電,煤氣燃燒裝置有點問題。這樣看,這個老人欠費應該超過2年多了,美國冰箱、電燈用電,每月一般不會超過40美元。
4、該市除了要馬上調查,還下令停止了所有限電裝置。
中文媒體應該關心中國人,片面歪曲報導國外事件,忽視國內百姓疾苦,除了矇騙世人,還有一個很大的負作用,就是使得中國人看不到光明,因為天下一般黑,壞人會缺少負罪感,受苦的會覺得一切正常。過去60年,中國人逐漸根據官方媒體編造的虛假宣傳,學習了西方一切黑暗的東西,西方文明、優秀的東西則被掩蓋和丟棄。簡單一句話:西方人不是那麼的無情,相反,遠比中國有人情味。就以此新聞的英文報導為例,此事發生後,人們的憤怒,政府的立即行動,足以說明問題。假設,一個有錢的中國人,欠電費2年,而取暖不是用電,這個人被暫時斷電,他可以到屋外重新開啟供電(美國是每戶外面有電錶等裝置),如果凍死了,人們如何反應?政府如何反應?媒體是否會報導?
同一篇英文報導提到,該地一戶因為不讓狗進屋而要受刑事起訴。
中英文媒體的報導都全文附在下面:
美國93歲老人因欠費被停電 被凍死家中
星島網
美國密西根州的93歲獨居老翁舒爾,日前因為欠繳約1000美元電費而被電力公司限制供電,最後在攝氏0度的低溫下活生生凍死於家中。當地司法部門已就老翁死因展開調查。
據香港《文匯報》報導,舒爾生前獨居在密西根州貝城,膝下無兒,妻子則於多年前去世。報導指,當地電力公司於1月13日以欠繳電費為由,在舒爾家外安裝了一個限制供電裝置。只要用電量超過一定限度,供電便會自動中斷。
裝置安裝4天後,有鄰居發現舒爾凍死於家中床邊。當時屋內氣溫只有0度,就連廚房洗碗盤內的水都已結冰。法醫表示,舒爾死去的過程是「又慢又痛苦」,「他的手指腳趾會先感到火燒般的疼痛,繼而全身失去知覺。整個過程長達多個小時。」
Freezing death of Mich. man in house sparks anger
By DAVID EGGERT, Associated Press Writer David Eggert, Associated Press Writer – Wed Jan 28, 7:08 pm ET AP – People stand in front of Marvin Schur's home in Bay City, Mich., Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2009. Schur, 93, froze … BAY CITY, Mich. – When neighbors went inside Marvin Schur's house, the windows were frosted over, icicles hung from a faucet, and the 93-year-old World War II veteran lay dead on the bedroom floor in a winter jacket over four layers of clothing.
He froze to death — slowly and painfully, authorities say — days after the electric company installed a power-limiting device because of more than $1,000 in unpaid bills.
The old man's sad end two weeks ago has led to outrage, soul-searching and a resolve never to let something like this happen again.
"There's got to be a way in today's computer age they can find out if someone's over a certain age," said Chad Sepos, 37, a copy machine installer who lives a block away in this Lake Huron city of 34,000 people, about 90 miles from Detroit. "It's just sad."
One of the saddest things of all was that Schur appeared to have plenty of money, and, in fact, one of the neighbors who entered the home reported seeing cash clipped to a pile of bills on the kitchen table. Schur's nephew suggested the old man's mind may have been slipping.
Schur, or "Mutts," was a retired foundry worker who lived alone, his wife having died a couple of years ago. The couple had no children. He could often be seen through the big front window of his comfortably furnished home of 50 or 60 years, watching TV or keeping an eye on his neighborhood.
On Jan. 13, a worker with the city-owned utility installed a "limiter" on Schur's electric meter after four months of unpaid bills. The device restricts power and blows like a fuse if usage rises past a set level. Electricity is not restored until the device is flipped back on by the homeowner, who must walk outside to the meter.
City Electric Light & Power did not contact Schur face-to-face to notify him of the device and explain how it works, instead following its usual policy by leaving a note on the door. But neighbors said Schur rarely, if ever, left the house in the cold.
At some point, the device evidently tripped and was not reset, authorities said. Schur's home was heated by a gas furnace, not electricity, but some gas furnaces do not work properly if the power is out.
Neighbors discovered Schur's body on Jan. 17 in his home, a yellow house with peeling paint. The outside temperature ranged from a high of 12 degrees to a low of minus 9 on Jan. 15, the day he was believed to have died. A heating pad was on his favorite armchair by the window. The oven door was open, perhaps to heat the place.
"The body has a tremendous fighting power for survival. He died a slow, painful death," said Dr. Kanu Virani, who found frostbite on Schur's foot when performing the autopsy. Investigators are trying to establish how long he was without electricity.
City officials are reviewing their procedures and in the meantime have suspended shutoffs and removed all limiters from homes after using the devices for 18 years.
The medical examiner is looking into whether Schur suffered from dementia, particularly after police found enough cash lying around in the home to cover his bills. His nephew William Walworth said Schur told him two years ago he had $600,000 in savings.
"It's definitely not a situation where money is an issue. The issue has to do with the mental faculties you have and your ability to make good decisions," said Walworth, 67, who lives in Ormond Beach, Fla.
"I think the utility's policies are horrible and insane," he added. "For 50 years he paid the bill on a regular basis and never had problems. If people would know who their customers are and take concern for their customers, maybe they'd go knock on the door and see if everything is OK."
Neighbors and others have posted messages on the Internet, complaining it was a shabby way to treat a veteran and demanding city employees be fired or prosecuted for not taking a few minutes to check on Schur, who was a medic in the South Pacific and earned a Purple Heart.
One blogger noted that even a pet owner who leaves his dog outside to freeze can face charges.
Sharon Gire, director of the Michigan Office of Services to the Aging, said Schur's death was preventable. "He was one of Michigan's most vulnerable citizens in need," she said. "It is a tragedy that he had to suffer such a painful death."
Michigan's big, state-regulated utilities are not allowed to shut off power to senior citizens in the winter and must offer payment plans to the poor. State regulators also discourage the use of limiters. But Michigan's 41 smaller municipal utilities — Bay City's included — are not overseen by the state.
Schur's death has prompted Michigan lawmakers to start writing legislation that could ban the use of limiters by municipal utilities.
"The concern was particularly with elderly customers; they can be frail or confused," Public Service Commission spokeswoman July Palnau said. "Anything that can require some sort of mechanical intervention can be overwhelming."
Bay City Manager Robert Belleman said that he was "deeply saddened" by Schur's death and that State Police will investigate. But he also said neighbors have a responsibility to each other.
"I've said this before and some of my colleagues have said this: Neighbors need to keep an eye on neighbors," Belleman said. "When they think there's something wrong, they should contact the appropriate agency or city department."
(根據國內實際情況轉貼時有刪節) 貓眼看人