Some people say it should stay there to recall the tragedy and all the careless mistakes that led to the inferno. Others say it should be demolished as it's an unwanted reminder of a dreadful disaster, forever traumatising those who want to put it behind them and have some kind of closure.
My opinion is neither here nor there as the tragedy never affected me personally, but for what it's worth I'm in favour of demolition.
Surely keeping the tower there acts as a disturbing trigger for any sensitive person who walks past it or sees it from their window, and would rather not have the awful reality of that day constantly thrust at them.
Those who want to preserve the tower say its presence stops people from forgetting the disaster, but did New Yorkers forget about 9/11 after the remains of the twin towers were destroyed? Of course not.
Apart from anything else, the tower requires regular maintenance to ensure its structural safety. Can it withstand really strong winds like those of Storm Eowyn a couple of weeks back?
Those who favour demolition are planning a remembrance garden or a memorial to mark the tragedy. That seems more sensible than maintaining a burnt-out and rotting shell for years on end.
Pic: Grenfell Tower
That makes sense. If the need is felt for a memorial, something can be built for that purpose, but it doesn't need to be so huge as the whole building -- which is probably dangerous to approach and will eventually collapse anyway.
ReplyDeleteNick, I remember this horrible fire and a lot of mistakes committed . A complete chaos. I would keep this burnt tower . We need from time to time strong symbols. A remembrance garden is not appropriate for the horror these persons have gone through. Those who wish the remembrance garden are probably those of the rich part of Kensington , social segregation , the poorer out of sight
ReplyDeleteHannah