I go and spend $100 dollars for a home security system. When a burglar breaks into my neighbor's house, kills somebody, and leaves without being caught, is it my fault because I didn't pay for my neighbor to have a home security system? I think not. If somebody chooses to neglect paying for a service such as this one, they have no right to expect it when it is needed. To me this seems like common sense, but to some people this seems absurd. 

Now switch gears. In rural Obion County, Tennessee, paying $75 dollars for firefighting services is optional. It has been this way since the fire protection was established for these rural stretches in 1990. If you ask me, $75 is a small price to pay to protect your belongings, memorabilia, and more importantly your family. To Obion County resident Mr. Gene Cranick, $75 dollars was apparently too much.

Late in September Mr. Cranick made national headlines when he watched as his house and personal belongings burned to the ground. When he called the local fire department they would not come out to put out the fire. When Mr. Cranick's neighbor, who had paid his $75 fee, called the fire department they were immediately dispatched to the scene where they kept the fire from spreading, but allowed it to consume the Cranick residence.

Sounds harsh, right? Maybe, but in all honesty, when you get to the bare-bones of the issue the firefighters did nothing wrong. They were told by their superiors to allow the fire to burn the house. They did exactly that.

Don't get me wrong, if I had been a firefighter in rural Tennessee I could not have stood by with a clear conscience and watched an ignorant man's house burn. At the same time, I wholeheartedly believe Mr. Cranick has no one to blame but himself. He made the decision to not pay for the services when it was made clear in the law that he would not receive fire protection if he did not pay. But Mr. Cranick didn't heed the warning. When asked about the situation Mr. Cranick said, "I hadn't paid my $75 and that's what they want, $75, and they don't care how much it burned down. I thought they'd come out and put it out even if you hadn't paid your $75, but I was wrong." Mr. Cranick's bitterness is understandable, but he even admitted he believed they would put out any fire even though he had never paid. That is like saying I can take a Snickers from Wal-Mart and no one will mind, but if they come to arrest me then I will pay for it. 

In this situation the real question is, if the firefighters had put out the fire what would the repercussions have been? Admittedly we probably wouldn't have heard about this story and we probably wouldn't know the name Gene Cranick, but if Mr. Cranick had received services without paying why should his neighbors continue paying? If no one pays for a fire department, there cannot be one. It's a simple fact of life: if you don't pay for or earn something you have no right to claim it. Explain to me where and why it is remotely fair for me to pay for something and my neighbor, or friend, or acquaintance to just be given it. 

There is a fine line where compassion meets justice. I am a firm believer that compassion should win over justice any time it is possible, and even though I don't believe the firefighters did anything wrong, my heart still goes out to Mr. Cranick and anyone who has had something like this happen to them. I hope his home is rebuilt soon and I pray he and his family never suffer like this again, but all things taken into consideration this whole situation is no one but Mr. Gene Cranick's fault all because he refused to pay a minute $75 fee.