A Lament of the London Fire

Being a benefactor of government housing should not preclude anyone from the full rights and protections of safe housing. This should be a rallying cry of those living in said dwellings across Great Britain and everywhere else people benefit from government assisted housing. Therefore, all banned materials and building methods and techniques not employed in private housing, should never be used in public housing.

It is with the deepest sorrow that we must mourn the dead ill-advised residents of the Grenfell Tower in north Kensington, London, who stayed in their 24-story high rise inferno on Wednesday, instead of evacuating. That people were given advise leading to their deaths is preposterous, unacceptable and criminal. 

The death toll which has now reached 30, with some 76 victims still unaccounted for, according to the Guardian, represents a blight upon modern building codes and safety standards. The concerns expressed by surviving victims should be given an unabridged ear.

While the public inquiry ordered by British Prime Minister Theresa May into London's fire is commendable, that the dead victims may not have died in vain, wouldn't a public inquest be more appropriate given the reports by victims and revelations by the re-furbisher of the Grenfell Tower? 

Whatever becomes of the investigation, the future safety of people living in government housing must be re-prioritized. Closure, answers and justice must be given to the Grenfell victims. Queen Elizabeth II has graciously started this process with a visit along with Prince William to the victims of the fire.