e-Claire

Poppa, Please Poppa

reeeeescue meeeeeee Has anyone else noticed the tenor of the stories out of Flahrida after Charlie? Aside from the hair-tearing, clothes-rending awwwwfulness of it all -- "These people don't have iiiiiice!!!" [not "don't have their home" -- "don't have ice."] I first heard, "The only thing people can do here is find a government representative and ask for water." There's an image . . . Then I heard, "Agencies are pitching in to get needed services to the people affected by Charlie. Even ordinary people are pitching in." [. . . ???] Remember the old days when people in an area prone to disasters had the capability to plan ahead and clean up after? Because they had to -- there was no rescuer. People accepted the idea that to live in a place they liked, there were certain risks that had to be accepted, prepared for and borne. FL has its hurricanes, the Midwest its tornadoes, mountains their snow and ice, desert its heat and, my fave, CA its earthquakes. I don't think the quick availability of "help" has been entirely positive. Sure, it's good to help one another out. Sure it's good to have more hands to clean up and rebuild. But it seems that the existence of quick help has led people to one of those brain-dead places where they quit taking care of themselves. I remember even a few years ago the story of a hurricane was the mass buying of water, canned food and batteries. People grabbing up plywood and securing their homes and businesses. People taking care of themselves and their neighbors. After the event there was always a tear-jerker story or two, usually in a trailer park, of the pooooor person victimized by the awful, evil storm and set in front of cameras to whine at the unfairness of weather and their utter shock that a hurricane would actually damage a trailer park. But most of the stories were about people digging out, cleaning up and getting back to business. Stories about brave people going above and beyond to help their neighbors were the focus. I don't know if the actualities has changed at all but the impression the media is giving is one of people unprepared beforehand and incapable after the fact. The sense of "unfair" is palpable. The majority of the stories focus on government rescuing. Not the stories I'd expect about people whose homes were flattened but more of the kind, "oh how awful; they have to bear the summer heat without ice." Big deal made of little deals and things that are actually a big deal, played down or ignored completely. Focus on "rescuers and victims" instead of "brave capable people carrying on." I wonder how that might feel to the people in the middle of it all -- at least those who planned ahead and have batteries for their radios... I think people hear that and behave accordingly. There was a study done years ago that showed plainly that students, of any age, performed up to -- or down to-- the expectations of their teachers [or other significant person.] I think media has that role of a mirror we hold up to ourselves so as to better see who we are. As we describe us to ourselves in our stories about ourselves, that is how we come to see ourselves. The expectations of our culture are expressed through the media. And people are hearing that we are dependent and need government rescue. We are weak and uncertain [ie "swing voters."] We are less than capable and need rescuing [stories on the "bad economy," "loss of jobs," "lack of consumer confidence."] We are weasely and untrustworthy [and need to have our elections monitored by outsiders.] I am beginning to suspect that the old saw holds true: the best way to divert attention from something you're doing is to accuse the other fellow of doing just that. While he is busy defending himself from charges of being a thief, no one is guarding the till -- and even if they do notice a few missing bucks, the other fellow is already under suspicion. I hate conspiracy theories, -- just get six people to decide where to go for lunch. But there are just too many signs -- large, well lit signs -- to ignore. There are too many things corroding us from the inside and not enough voices raised in protest.

1. Yep. 

   Although I haven’t been watching the news on this for fear of flashbacks, something struck me as strange.  Within the first week they [Local government?] set up a facility so people could stand in line and file for unemployment.  Scads of people showed up. 

   I don’t know why exactly, but it seemed weird.  After Andrew everyone I knew still had their job; they just shifted people to different locations… Now I do know that little mom & pop places down in Homestead that were leveled couldn’t do that, but I never heard of anything like the contrived unemployment line. 
   Yes, I KNOW that they are trying to facilitate the needs of the people, and that the area is totally unlike southeast Florida. 

   I’m probably being silly.  ;)
   And I KNOW I’m getting off track.  Great post, point well made.  :D

   Posted by pam  on  08/19/04  at  09:26 AM

2. Generally I have to agree that we are a society who thinks the government should take care of us.
   H Charlie, was widely purported to be heading to Tampa, thus lack of prep when the storm changed direction. The Seniors who live in the mobile home parks are often of limited funds and choose the mobiles out of financial necessity. At 69 I could no longer do much in cleanup and would need help. That said, it is my responsibility to have insurance to cover my loss. I will never understand that people do not pay for insurance and then claim they have lost everything and expect others to bail them out.

   Posted by Pat in NC  on  08/19/04  at  02:43 PM

<< Back to main