Justice for Rachel Peavoy

This is a sensitive issue and one which has captured the attention of a lot of interested parties in Ireland where the death of Rachel Peavoy took place. The story is largely covered here.

Basically, a 30 year old woman died at home of hypothermia during what we Irish euphemistically call a "cold snap" in January 2010. The mother of two had also been taking medication for anxiety and there was some suggestion she had another mental illness as well.

Sad in and of itself, the issue is complicated by a simple fact, Ms.Peavoy lived in a council flat. What of it? you might say. Well, because she was technically living in government accommodation there is the suggestion that the council is responsible for her death, as there is a question over whether or not the heating was working at the time of her demise.

At the inquest, however (see link), it was claimed that the heating was fine and that the council was not negligent. Indymedia.ie is of course demanding "justice for Rachel Peavoy", which would seem to me to be a little pointless as she is no longer alive, and would no doubt consist of the appropriate measures being taken to apportion blame to individual council employees along with a fat cheque of taxpayer's money to, probably, her children.

The "World Socialist Web Site" has also taken up the cause alongside Indymedia.ie and other socialist organisations which I would normally associate with the so-called 'fight against capitalism'.

But my question would be, why are all these socialist organisations taking on a cause in which capitalism is in no way involved? A Capitalist such as myself would be at pains to point out that it is the State which has failed in this instance, and that greater government provision of housing is exactly what organs like indymedia.ie are constantly struggling for.

The brutal fact is, if you wait for the government to supply your heating, you will die of cold, and that's exactly what happened here. The culture of dependency created by government housing has been laid bare - and the socialists can't (or won't) see it.

Rachel Peavoy was failed by a system for sure. A socialist system that took away her independence and let her die at the hands of the kind of cold, uncaring bureaucracy that socialists drool over.

Socialists take note: This is the system you want. Your ideas and policies will lead to more dead Rachel Peavoys.