No way to treat a human being

One of the most powerful segments in the 1990 HBO movie "Separate But Equal," about the landmark Brown vs. Board of Education case that resulted in the desegregation of American schools was the scene in which angry whites set fire to the home of black preacher/school principal.
As he, his wife and children try to fight the fire with buckets of water, the all-white fire department pulls up and watches, refusing to do anything as the home burns to the ground. Supposedly, their coverage ended just across the street.
Something similar happened in Monett when this week when a Hispanic family lost a car and garage while the Monett Rural Fire Department stood by and did nothing, merely watching in case the fire reached the property of someone who had paid his dues.
The Hispanic family, new to the area, was unaware it had to pay dues for the fire protection. The leader of the family attempted to pay right then, but was rebuffed by the fire department.
Now, quite rightly, the actions not taken by the firefighters have come under intense public scrutiny. An editorial in today's Springfield News-Leader rips into these alleged public servants.