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posted by Bob at Tuesday, December 23, 2008
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SHHHH! While we listen to words of wisdom from a wise man.
Conscience is the light of the Soul that burns within the chambers of our psychological heart. It is as real as life is. It raises the voice in protest whenever anything is thought of or done contrary to the righteousness. Conscience is a form of truth that has been transferred through our genetic stock in the form of the knowledge of our own acts and feelings as right or wrong. A virtuous and courageous person can alone use the instrument of conscience. He or she can alone hear the inner voice of the soul clearly. In a wicked person this faculty is absent. The sensitive nature of his / her conscience has been destroyed by sin or corruption. Hence he or she is unable to discriminate right from wrong. Those who are leading organizations, business enterprises, institutions and governments should develop this virtue of the ability to use their own conscience. This wisdom of using the clean conscience will enable them to enjoy the freedom.
Dr APJ Kalam, President of India given during the inauguration of the seminar on “THE EFFECTS OF CORRUPTION ON GOOD GOVERNANCE AND HUMAN RIGHTS
4 Comments:
tvezner@pioneerpress.com
Posted: 12/23/2008 12:01:00 AM CST
Three days before Christmas, dozens of people lost all but the clothes on their backs when fire destroyed a 64-unit apartment complex Monday night in Burnsville.
In subzero temperatures, many of the residents watched the roof of the Burncliff Apartments building at 12312 Parkwood Drive erupt in flame, smoke and ash.
Fire officials said 180 to 190 residents were left homeless.
Firefighters fought to keep the flames from an adjacent building in the twin-building complex. That building housed another 180 or 190 people who were evacuated as a precaution.
As of 11 p.m., firefighters had largely extinguished the flames, and no one had been reported injured. Authorities believed everyone was accounted for, though they had yet to search the structurally unsound building. Residents, however, hadn't reported anyone missing.
"Now we just sit back and watch. I only got the clothes on my back," said Charles Wylie, 29, who lived in the building with his pregnant girlfriend and their three children, ages 1 to 4.
They had returned home from shopping and doing laundry to find smoke filling the building.
"I didn't think. I ran in to put the groceries and clothes (inside). Now it's gone. It's burning now," said Wylie, who had moved into the complex this month.
The fire was reported about 4 p.m. The flames spread quickly.
Firefighters — including those from a station across the street — arrived to find smoke pouring from the third floor of the three-story building. Within minutes, flames erupted from the floor below.
Investigators had yet to determine a cause late Monday. However, one man said he had a good idea of where the fire began.
Mike Ung, 19, who was visiting his girlfriend at her mother's apartment, said the older woman returned from the third-floor laundry room, yelling that there was smoke.
Ung rushed to investigate and saw smoke coming from an electrical box above a washer and dryer in the laundry room.
"I'm certain it came from there," he said. "That's the only place smoke was coming from. We didn't think it was that bad."
He said he and a friend unplugged as many of the washers and dryers as they could before running from the building. He said they pounded on doors as they escaped.
Ung said the building's fire alarm sounded only after the halls were filled with smoke.
The building, which was constructed in 1968 and is owned and maintained by Chaska-based Goodman Group, did not have a sprinkler system, authorities said. Because of its age, it was exempted from having one by modern fire codes.
At nearby Burnsville High School, the lighted outdoor message board indicated a temperature of 2 degrees below zero. Cars of apartment residents, who were sent to the school for temporary shelter, filled the lot.
Many of the residents wondered what to do next.
"I don't know. I don't know. It was a good day today. It was ..." Luann Taylor, 49, who had lived in her apartment two years, said haltingly.
She returned from her job at Nordstrom at the Mall of America in time to see flames engulfing the building.
Her son, Christopher Rilea, 31, who shared the apartment with her, tried to comfort his mother. In private, he appeared shaken, too.
"Everything is gone. Even Grandma's stuff is in there," he said. Taylor and Rilea, like all the victims interviewed by the Pioneer Press, said they were not insured.
Police and American Red Cross officials decided to house the displaced residents Monday night in the high school, where classes were still scheduled for today.
Red Cross spokeswoman Carrie Nolan said 19 families, comprising 80 people, had requested help in finding a place to stay.
"A lot of people fortunately have family to stay with," she said.
Around the corner from the Burnsville High School gymnasium, where victims were staying, dozens of students sat on the floor wrapping presents for children who had lost their homes.
Other students arrived, bringing bags full of gifts from any store they could find open.
"It's really hit the community hard. I was in the car just crying," said Natalie Evanson, 17, a junior and student council member.
"I can't remember anything this bad happening," she said as teddy bears, footballs, coloring books and other gifts were wrapped and labeled for the recipients' appropriate gender and age.
"It's the holidays. I just can't imagine," Evanson said, as she was joined by other members of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes student organization in wrapping presents.
Fire officials said they would be on the scene all night. The Burnsville Fire Department enlisted the help of crews from surrounding agencies to battle the four-alarm fire.
About 120 firefighters worked in shifts to avoid overheating in their heavy suits, despite the frigid conditions. Those taking breaks went into idling Metro Transit buses to remove their gear and cool off.
Businesses, including Cub Foods, Burger King and Chipotle, donated food for the victims at the high school.
Joe Rush, manager of a SuperAmerica across the street, gave free coffee to residents and even his own coat to one of them.
"He needed it more than me," he said. "You lose everything around the holidays — what are you going to do?"
I would not live in these multi housing structures if the city's inspected them daily.
Folks your odds of getting burned out like this are real good. We seem to be hearing about these massive fires at least once a year. Most these newer complexes are cinder box's made of materials that burn, and they are just waiting for an igniter. Now let's look at the odds this place would of eventually burnt.
64 units of citizens who may or may not have the conscience to be fire safe. Cooking, electric heaters, falling asleep with cigarettes, on and on. 1000's of feet of electrical wiring increases the odds of a electrical fire -vs- the small amount of wiring in a duplex or residential home. Would you trust 64 units of other citizens with your personal safety and possessions? This is what it amounts to.
In Saint Paul there is a trend for multi housing structures due to limited land. So the only way to increase the tax base of the city is to increase the population by building up, 3 plus stories.
I work for a property investor who owns a complex in Saint Louis Park of 550 units. This complex is made up of small apartment buildings with 12 units in each structure. These multi unit structures were built in the 40's and have been on fire many times over the years. They do not burn! They are made of concrete and brick. Even the floors are c-span concrete. Concrete walls separate each unit.
The fire department loves these structures. When the fire department comes in, they don't even use water. They go in with a fan and fire extinguishers. This way units below the unit on fire do not get water or smoke damage.
If cities really were interested in safety, they would change the building code to require new multi housing to be constructed of non flamable materials.
Bob advocating for more 'code' and posting a story that's a great example of why inspections are necessary and needed.
Hmmm, this must be a trick.
Eric
Eric more proof more inspections can't stop fires.
And I don't think anyone here said that don't think inspections should happen but they should be fair and not politically influence by your buddies.
I'm a landlord and love the new inspection program.A hell of a lot better then the Dawkins and Kelly approach!
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