Grenfell Tower

As the full horror of yet another disaster unfolds, there is anger and, quite rightly, demands for answers. At this stage it is pointless to speculate and much too soon to start apportioning blame – emotions are still much too raw. And I have no intention of trawling through the eye witness stories, amazing as

Grenfell Tower image
Grenfell Tower Fire

they are.

As I watched the live news this morning, and survivors, friends, relatives and neighbours appeared before the cameras, and the horror stories mounted, one thing really struck me – the decency and eloquence of the community. ‘Decency’ hardly seems an adequate word but it is the right word: behaviour that is good, moral, and acceptable in society.

People of every colour and creed, even the angry young man who used the ‘f’ word on prime time television to express his frustration, demonstrated the best of humanity. This has nothing to do with ‘British values’ or nationalism but has everything to do with real people, living in a vibrant community, often feeling neglected by authority, looking out for one another – as decent people, all over the world do when faced with enormous difficulties.

Mahad Egal
Mahad Egal & Victoria Derbyshire

I don’t know Mahad Egal, and I don’t particularly enjoy watching the BBC’s Victoria Derbyshire, but watching Mahad’s eloquent description of events, and Victoria comforting him when his emotions could no longer be contained, is a much more powerful demonstration of the decency and eloquence that my inadequate words are struggling to describe.

http://metro.co.uk/video/grenfell-tower-resident-breaks-describes-escape-1483725/?ito=vjs-link

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