West Warwick fire = TRAGEDY

             Being a fan of horror fiction, I was reminded of the ghastly

    prom night apocalypse scene in " Carrie " , the Stephen King movie,

    when  I watched the on the scene news coverage of  the West Warwick

    nightclub holocaust. My nephew, Ricky, lives right across from the

    " The Station "  .  After making a few anxious calls, I learned that

    none of my extended family -  the younger ones are most likely to

    frequent seedy or classy  nightclubs - were unlucky enough to be

    there. To die a horrible death  because you just love a decadent

    heavy metal band. Likely last thoughts of a victim in the burning,

    screaming , stinking darkness : visions of Hell , last agonies fading

    to black nothingness or eternal peace..... Father !  Mother ! Oh God,

    oh God ! .... I was living.... now  I am dead !

                   But " Carrie " was about revenge. And every good horror

    story has something to say about GOOD and EVIL.

                 We look for villains here in  " The Station " . But even

    the owner wipes bitter tears. Governor Carcieri got it right : the

    fire that has taken nearly 100 lives was a TRAGEDY that should not

    have happened. Our litigious society has forgotten the very meaning

    of TRAGEDY. It prefers to obsess foolishly on  CRIME and PUNISHMENT.

                  No laws or punishment will cure the human race of pure

    stupidity. And  numerous bad judgments  culminate in an out of control

    event - like an earthquake or volcano.

                No moralizing judge will ever be able to put the Absurd

    on trial. Forget about those ridiculous grief counselors. Just BE

    THERE for people who  grieve.

                 West Warwick is an old mill town, still haunted by

    the ghosts of the New England Industrial Revolution. Now and then

    a friend of mine  - often  in late October - visit one of our favorite

    West Warwick pubs : " Ronnie's Last Chance Saloon " .

               Until the fire at " The Station " the only hot topic in

    blue collar West Warwick was whether or not to build a casino.

                  A new casino should greet its visitors with a statue

    of the Greek goddess  - Chance . A real bitch !