Monday, March 20, 2006

A Life Gone In 60 Words

What is this? Journalism? I think not.

This is the entire article:
Martinsville man dies on the job in Henry County

Martinsville, VA -- Local and federal authorities are investigating a fatal industrial accident in Henry County. It happened around 8:00 p.m. Friday, March 17 at Knauss Snack Food in the Beaver Creek Industrial Park. Officials say 19-year-old Francisco Alejandro Garcia fell into a processing machine and died. Garcia was a contract employee responsible for cleaning the machines that night.

He fell in "and died?"

What, a heart attack? Natural causes? Or is this perhaps a lockout incident? Was he crushed in moving machinery that wasn't de-energized? Or did Garcia fall into an opening and hit his head? Or maybe he was electrocuted. Was he working alone? Are there OSHA standards that may cover this incident? Any witnesses?

But wait, answers to these questions might actually take a bit of work and research, some actual interest in why this man died. Anyway, he was probably just an immigrant, most likely "illegal."

Are we ever to hear more about Francisco Alejandro Garcia? Probably not.

(Thanks to Coit Smith for seeing the obvious.)