One year ago, an inferno ripped through The Station in Rhode Island killing 100 people and injuring many more.
The anniversary marks an appropriate time to unveil how those affected will be remembered, but for this particular incident, it has been a time for dispute. Survivors of the fire are requesting that their names be put alongside those who lost their lives. This inappropriate argument has come up at a time when people who lost their lives should be remembered. Instead, about 200 people are demanding they be put in the spotlight for their own suffering and claiming they deserve to have their names listed next to the deceased.
The living do not need a memorial. While many lives were affected by the fire, a line must be drawn. If survivors are added to the memorial, further problems will arise about what qualifies one as a “survivor” It is impossible to measure how far the pain went for each person, and setting a limit at those whose lives were lost makes the distinction much easier. Instead of debating the value of one life against another, the distinction between a life and a lost life must be made.
The memorial should include some mention of those who were injured, but in a different way. Listing the names of people who were disfigured or emotionally scarred will only take away from the homage being given to those that did die. Someone who is alive should not be able to visit a memorial with his or her name on it – that would defeat the purpose of the memorial itself. A memorial is supposed to provide closure for a loss, and listing those who did not lose their lives will not provide that closure.
Survivors are using the Oklahoma City Bombing memorial as an example of another memorial that listed survivors. But while the memorial for the Oklahoma City Bombing included the names of both the survivors and those who lost their lives – totaling to more than 1,000 names – the scenario is completely different. The bombing was a result of a terrorist act – the fire was a result of negligence. While they are both horrible incidents, they are completely different in nature.
It is disgusting that such an argument has come up on the one year anniversary of such a devastating event. Instead of fighting over whether or not names should be placed on the memorial, people should be helping one another to find closure and move on. Everyone involved has suffered and a dispute over who suffered more is trivial and uncalled for. Such an argument will only delay the unveiling of a memorial being built to acknowledge the pain through which they have gone.