Social Injustice

Today I witnessed some of the worst social injustice I have seen in a while. Seven weeks ago 35 people lost their homes and everything they owned to a fire. The fire started because a man (if you could even classify him as that) was mad at his girlfriend and started a couch on fire. Now, this couch was on its end in an escape rout. It was reportedly there for several weeks.

I am doing some investigation and I went to Canyon Cove today. There are emergency exit lights that do not work, smoke alarms that are either chirping or not working, and dibris everywhere. The dibris is a feeding ground for fire. Only one building has a sprinkling system and water access on hand (from a 1999 settlement, from a 1994 fire that destroyed another buidling there).

There are residents who were not able to obtain their things because they would not sign a peice of paper saying they would never sue the company. People watched their belongings looted and bulldozed to the ground.

A 43-year-old pioneer in rocket booster engineering died in that fire because she could not get out. The reason she could not get out: there was a couch blocking the exit. Dana Byrd is gone because of careless management. People have lost everything they own because of careless management.

I am investigating and I am writing a story. The Ogden City Fire Marshall has not done his job. Canyon Cove apartment management has not done their job. Animal Services let animals starve to death because they did not check traps they set. People have lost everything and now they have to start over.

The story may not matter to many, but it will matter to the people who are suffering. It will matter to start bringing the necessary change.