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I have the deepest sympathy and empathy for both the victims and survivors of this terrible tragedy. I was in the first grade of a Catholic school in Milton, Massachusetts when our teachers showed us the newspapers. I felt so sorry, and the news that the fire happened just before the end of the school day seemed so tragic and cruel. It gave me nightmares because I thought my school was equally dangerous. Only years later, after studying the history and reading "To Sleep with the Angels," did I fully understand that my newer school had all of the fire safety standards which were missing at OLA. I corresponded with the authors of "To Sleep With the Angels," congratulating them on their superb research.
I think the Archdiocese of Chicago deserves a lot of blame for its actions before and after the tragedy. Even if a young boy with pyromaniac tendencies provided the ignition, a safer building would have allowed adequate time for the students inside to escape. I agree that the Chicago fire department did all it possibly could under the circumstances. I have worked in cable television at The Learning Channel (TLC), with the American Red Cross, and for several years as a Legislative Assistant to Congressman Crane of Illinois. His district to the northwest of Chicago is where many OLA survivors live.
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