GunRiot

(Continued from Section 4C)

WHY WAS KURTOW ABANDONED?
Reddin Belk, Pallad City Post
[Archived Article: Published Four Years Ago]

With no financial incentive for the city to rebuild, the future of Kurtow remains bleak. Recent proposals only further paint the district as a horrid, festering cesspool—including a plan to turn sections of Kurtow into landfills. The irony, according to Heft, is that several corporations have already been doing just that, and without any legal repercussions. Heft believes that, with the public’s general lack of interest in Kurtow, it’s unlikely any politician going forward will push for reconstruction and that conditions in the district will only grow increasingly dire.

In her book, Heft writes, “In the end, the answer to the question of why Kurtow was abandoned may be an altogether simple one. Whether it was due to callous machinations of corporate interests, the result of a wholly inefficient, tightfisted government, or a less-than-vocal public, there’s one connecting theme. Apathy.”

For some, it may be difficult to believe that over two decades have passed since the Kurtow earthquake—but for the people still living in the ruins, their lonely struggle continues with no relief in sight.

GunRiot. Story by Midnight. Art by Kuraikabe1990.