(ThyBlackMan.com) Music icon Sheila E minced no words in lambasting Carson city officials for what may well amount to bungling in the death of Shari Sanders. Sanders’s death was at the sweltering heat held Carson Jazz Festival. Her death ignited a firestorm of debate, recriminations, defense and push back on what was done or not done by city officials to head off a disaster.
E flatly said if she had prior knowledge of Sanders death before she performed she would never have gone on stage. “I’m sorry. You should have stopped the festival. This was uncalled for.” Continuing the festival seemed a callous disregard for the loss of a life.
E had good reason to be miffed and take a verbal pot shot at the city. It had nothing to do with the actual cause of death, the circumstances around her death, or even her death. It had everything to do with what Carson did not do and should have to prevent possible illness, injury or death at a public event held in mind boggling heat.
The starting point for pointing the blame finger at Carson is the heat advisory warning. City officials knew about it. The punishing heat wave started a couple of days before the festival. The warning, then, had been in effect continuously during this time. The potential danger of any outdoor event with masses of people present was enormous.
The. City with ample warning of the peril should have promptly swung into action. That should have included setting up a large number of free hydration stations, added air conditioned tents, cooling spaces, shade structures and even cool pavement spots. Every concert goer should have been informed about the facilities and their location. They should have been advised to immediately go to one at the first sign of a heat effect.
City officials should have beefed up the number of trained medical personnel, and trained spotters on watch and alert for any heat related exhaustion, dehydration, or sickness. They would escort those in need to an aid station.
Then there is the matter of Sanders’ body. It apparently remained covered in full public view of concertgoers for a period of time pending the arrival and approval by the coroner or authorized medical personnel. None of whom were immediately present. But given the potential heat danger and repeat warnings about the danger, they should have been.
Some respondents on social media, angered at the perceived mis steps with Sanders, saw greed and indifference in the tragedy. They claimed that this was just another instance of money, entertainment and a city’s narrow vested interest in pulling off a successful event callously trumping safety.
Sander’s death no matter what the final determination of the cause of death. is a painful and heartbreaking tragedy. It may well prove to be a death that even if city officials had taken every extra step necessary for safety still might have happened. But the brutal reality is that Carson had the ample warning of potential danger yet did not take the many extra steps needed to head off a potential tragedy such as Sanders. .
Again, Sheila E got it right.
Written By Earl Ofari Hutchinson
One can find more info about Mr. Hutchinson over at the following site; TheHutchinson Report.
Also feel free to connect with him through twitter; http://twitter.com/earlhutchins
He is also an associate editor of New America Media. His forthcoming book is From King to Obama: Witness to a Turbulent History (Middle Passage Press).
Note: You can now follow him on Substack; https://substack.com/@thehutchinsonreport/.
