Today 40 years ago in 1980, May 20, over 153 women lost their
lives in a terrible furnace referred to as the Eventide home fire. One can only
imagine the pain and agony these women who lived on the Myers Ward must have
gone through during those last horrendous minutes. The fires of hell could not
be worse. These old and feeble ladies who could not flee to safety. These were
the darkest days in the history of this country. It’s the year when there was
serious political violence when approximately 800 persons also lost their
lives.
Today we remember the lives of those ladies and we pray that if
any person or persons were responsible for their deaths, that they be forgiven
and the blot be removed from the history of this nation. May one day we seek
forgiveness and we have true reconciliations. Sometimes I feel that the spirit
of these ladies and others will not rest until we seek forgiveness and national
reconciliations.
May we as a nation take care and look after those who have
served, those who have toiled night and day in this country, those who have
been spared and many who have passed their three score and ten years. May we
show them love and respect as they face their twilight years so we may in time
if our lives are so spared will become worthy of the same love and respect.
Today we remember the Eventide Home Fire and those ladies,
those Jamaicans, Children of our enslaved forefathers who lost their lives in a
most brutal and cruel manner.
May their souls rest in peace.
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