Wow, someone with common sense! Well Said!!!!
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Stupid."
-- What the Declaration of Independence could have said.
When a hurricane laid waste to Galveston on Sept. 8, 1900, killing 8,000 or more, most people didn't see it coming.
Forecasters in the United States seemed to think it would turn right and head up the Atlantic Coast and out to sea. A Cuban forecaster differed, saying the hurricane appeared headed for the Texas coast. What did he know?
Nor did forecasters at the time -- or at least their bureaucratic bosses -- want to panic the public by even using the words "hurricane" or "tornado."
Well, technology today is light years ahead of 1900, and forecasters and politicians have learned the folly of keeping people in the dark. It's truly amazing what we know about hurricanes.
But what good does all that do if we don't have the sense to get out of the way?
Emergency responders in Texas have been busy the past couple of days rescuing people from attics and rooftops and floodwaters who ignored days and days of dire warnings about Hurricane Ike.
America is founded upon the principle that you can pretty much do as you like as long as it's legal and doesn't hurt others.
But people who stubbornly refuse to evacuate a hurricane area in the face of repeated and blunt warnings -- the words "certain death" were used about Ike -- do indeed hurt others.
They require valuable time and resources to pluck off rooftops and to chop out of attics. They endanger rescue workers in the process. And they slow the process, which could otherwise proceed directly to recovery rather than search and rescue.
They may have the legal and constitutional right to stick it out and expect others to come to the rescue. But do they have the moral right?
The unfortunate and wrongheaded lesson from Katrina seems to be that you can ride out a hurricane and then complain when the federal government arrives too late to attend to your every need.
Your safety is, first and foremost, your own responsibility. In this case, local, state and federal officials appear to have prepared for and reacted to Ike with gusto, efficiency and competence. But too many people ignored pleas to move inland before the hurricane hit. And society is paying the price.
Technology has improved immensely since 1900, and it shows: Instead of 8,000 deaths, Ike recorded just a handful. Most people heeded calls to get out, and Texas commandeered one of the world's largest storm evacuations ever.
It has become gospel that the federal government botched the Katrina response. This cannot be said for Hurricane Ike.
The only thing botched in this case was the failure by an estimated 140,000 people to listen to the warnings and get out.
Any deaths that result from that will be blamed on Ike. Unfairly.
Comments
Wow, someone with common sense! Well Said!!!!
Deborah, didn't you know? Its all George W.'s fault. The Dimmedcrats said so, so it must be true!
And Obama will fix it!
Perhaps they do have the right to ignore such warnings, but shouldn't Texas have the right to charge for rescue services. This has gone beyond reasonable. When it's all said & done many will not have flood insurance. This is ridiculous.
14Putt, sure, Texas can charge...but just try collecting. You'll have tons of people claiming that they were too poor to leave. Never mind the car in their driveway. Personal responsibility has gone out the window in our society.
Probably part of the same entitlement crowd like the ones who failed to evacuate for Katrina!
Shhhhhhhh!!!! More beer for us.
Now President Bush must hate Mexicans. He caused this hurricane to hit Texas. You know he wanted to name it Kat 2.
If Galveston were a government subsidy town (like N.O.) you can bet this hurricane would have been Bush's fault too. As it is, the area will be cleaned up is 4 or 5 months and all repairs will be made in less then 3 years. Most parts of the country know how to recover from a disaster.
Not a bad editorial, but here's something that doesn't belong: The writer says, "But do they have the moral right?" What in the world is a "moral right?" He doesn't say.
Lil Lamb, I think what he is questioning is whether the rest of us have a "moral" obligation to risk lives and resources to save them from themselves. My guess.
"Stragglers who rode out Ike slow recovery and engandger others" If this isn't a fine example of Augusta's finest EDITors I don't know what is. Sentence fragment, not even a good sub-headline and they mis-spell endanger.... Way to go ACES. I love it when the 'stupid' shows so blatantly. And ya'll call me crazy.
Just hours before Ike struck Galveston, FOX news interviewed a bunch of young people partying in a beachfront bar. They were warned by authorities of "Certain Death", they laughed and kept on partying. Is it morally right to rescue them before others that may have had a more legitimate excuse for staying?
We don't have to call you crazy Zeno.
Oh, please...we are STILL paying for Katrina "survivors" living at the Hampton Inn. Get a grip. FEMA is made up of accountants. They don't employ a single heavy equipt operator or linesman...they write checks to those who do. It's gotten to the point that all it takes is a pic of some slug who couldn't be troubled to drag his or her sorry self out of the way of the oncoming waves, for the nanny-staters among us to jump up and accuse the govt of "not caring." That translates into votes for the politicians who "care." Keep in mind: elected positions are "rewards." You get more of the behavior you reward. Keep voting for the true believers, or even for those who just think that the battle isn't worth fighting and they should shut up and write the checks, and that's the behavior you'll keep getting. Is anybody from the GA delegation to DC going to oppose continuation of Katrina "relief," new "relief" for "poor homeowners in TX who don't have anywhere to turn?" Of course. not...
Thanks, JusttheFacts. I would be quite happy not to "rescue them from themselves." But governments have taken on the responsibility (foolishly in my opinion) to be the "first responders" after a flood. They want to bust down the doors and draw the big Xs on the houses they have "cleared." Personal accountability and responsibility are dead.
Wtg AC!!!! Great article. I seen on the news that 1 guy was from NO and went through Katrina and relocated to there and didn't leave. And laughed after being rescued sayin ya think I'd had learned my lesson. Jack@%#. Another Couple with their toddler chidlren stayed in Galveston Bay, the agree now they made a bad choice after being rescued. Child endangerment isnt that??? Idiots!! I agree little lamb's last sentence.
maybe this is god's way of thinning out the species...or is that line of thought just to simple to comprehend????happens to other species all the time, but sadly we are the ones that supoosedly got "reasoning" as a trait.......go figure.
To the AC Staff Reporter: You cannot compare the evacuation of Katrina with Ike. In Katrina, MANY people were left behind due to the poor judgment of the people in office; the Governor would NOT issue an evacuation order when Mayor Nagle begged her to do so. When she finally issued the evacuation order, she would NOT allow public vehicles be used to transport those who had no transportation let alone provide the necessities that the first responders required in order to assist those left behind. In Ike, the people were told to evacuate and public vehicles were used in that process. People may exhibit poor judgment when there is imminent disaster, but you cannot call them stupid. Your comparison of the Galveston disaster in 1900 does not reflect the true story; the weatherman in Galveston KNEW how devastating the storm would be and decided against telling the citizens. Please refer yourself to the History Channel; they recently ran a documentary on that disaster. Reporters like yourself can be construed as being 'stupid' when you place yourself in the middle of a disaster because you seem to think this makes "good news." What example have you set for the general public?
Exactly mable, like it said lesson learned from katrina by the government... did the residents? NO, Even 1 or more who went through Katrina. So reguardless of the warning the point is, it was given and ignored by stupid people who then expect others to risk their lives and health to rescue them, not to mention they subjected their children to it!! IMO, is was something that needed to be said in all newspapers becuase its obvious some people still have not got the point yet.
Dear folks I am not condoning or condeming the folks who stayed but you need to answer the following to do so. Maybe some of the folks didn't have a car to travel with. I watched the news extensively and didn't see any sherters where people could go to so I guess people would have had to stay in Motels (at a couple of hundred dollars a day) I a'm not sure I have that kind of money, do you? Now ask yourself, if I had to leave right now for someplace for a couple of weeks ( no work, no pay, no savings and no open credit card) could I go? Remember we are not all corporate CEO's and some of us have to work just to make it without disasters. So before you condemn the folks ask yourself trully what wouls you do and if you answer "I would find a way" that isn't an answer.
Sorry, but with death being the other option,I would find a way. I know that's not what you want to here. BTW, all you had to do was dial "211" for evacuation assistance. Available to everyone.
disssman, WRONGO, when they issue evacuation orders they find transportation, it may be in the back of an army truck but they WILL get you out. These people stayed, they need to be told,"STBY...we will get to you when we can."
The problem with the dire warning of "certain death" is not unlike the boy who cried wolf. Thankfully there have been few deaths from hurricane Ike. However the "certain death" warning was well heard and particularly so by people who live in such storm prone areas. They may be more tempted to ride it out when faced with such a warning. I know I was tempted when hurricane Elena struck Pensacola, FL. After seeing the impact Elena had on my $100K sailboat, I was glad I left.
There have been few deaths from Hurricane Ike because "ta dah" people that had any brains evacuated!
But what does "engandger others" mean? (on the small print below the headline). Isn't that supposed to be spelled "endanger"?
baroness: Even editors are allowed a spelling error now and then. The problem is they have, or should have, proofreaders.
mgroot- editors clear what is already proofread. If it makes it to print, it falls on the editor for the error, no matter who let it slip by the first time. I would think this is something you are familiar with more than most. baroness, I caught the error earlier and no one said a word about it. I guess maintaining journalistic standards is just too much to ask. These newfangled computers do have a spellchecker don't they?
I resent having to pay tax money to rescue those people, along with having to truck food and water into their communities, when they refused to evacuate. Free shelter was provided for them, they didn't have to go stay at a motel. If they needed transportation, they could sign up for it. They stay because they know if it gets bad enough, they will be rescued.
I feel the same way about the idiots who do outdoor extreme sports in terrible weather and then need rescueing- they ignore warnings and common sense and basic safety rules because they figure it'll make a better adventure and more of a "challenge". But they never foot the bill.
I'm trying to muster sympathy for the idiots who wouldn't leave, are stranded and now are putting the rescuers lives at risk because of their stubborness and arrogance.......so far it's not working
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