Alison Hodgson

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Archives for November 2010

What Cannot Be Shaken May Remain

November 17, 2010 by Alison Hodgson 2 Comments



You can’t imagine how much work it takes to tear a house down.

I wasn’t there when this particular fire was set, but I know how easy it can be when you have a match and a pile of highly flammable material. Add an accelerant (in this case gasoline) and in no time, you’ve got a blaze a burning.

In the early days we said, “Our house burned down,” but it wasn’t really accurate as a ruins, that had been half of our home, remained. Now we say, “We had a house fire,” when we have to explain although, if we’re able, we try not to say anything at all because it complicates everything.

The truth is someone set fire to our home.

Christopher thought the arsonist should have to walk through the streets naked, but I agree with one of Oprah’s gurus who says that shame doesn’t bring about change.

It was after my seventh call to Consumer’s Energy, that I told Paul we should forget about prisons. Instead, criminals should be forced to run the bureaucratic labyrinths that spring up and stack themselves one on top of the other, which the victims of crime must navigate in order to rebuild their lives.

An arsonist, as a handy example, might think twice before setting his hand to flame if he had to deal with insurance, meet the demands of zoning boards and design a new house, all on a strict timeline. We could throw in some of those fake babies that they give to teenagers in life classes to simulate the demands of parenthood, since we wouldn’t want the criminal actually taking care of our children.

“Do you know I spent ten hours on the phone just with Comcast?” And don’t even get me started on the township supervisor!” I imagine our firebug complaining to another criminal in the call/detention center that could be the prison of the future.

There would need to be something that simulated errands: driving kids everywhere and shopping, to replace all the belongings that burned, as well as the day-to-day supplies and food. And let’s not forget cooking for a family…I might, but we would need to have that be a part of the rehabilitative process.

“I JUST went to Costco! How can we be out of Veggie Straws AGAIN!?! Who spilled coffee on the inventory? I never knew the suffering! OH THE HUMANITY!”

Filed Under: the fire, what cannot be shaken may remain

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