Nature Wins​​​ - AGAIN!​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

As most​​​​ news junkies on the East Coast (particularly the New York City region)​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ knew last week​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​, there's nothing like a snow storm of record proportions to dominate the news - to the point where nothing else happening​ locally, nationally, or international even warranted reference, no less coverage. There simply was nothing worth reporting - nothing more important than the state of the city and the snowfall after a blizzard!

Consider it this way. Today on Meet The Press, after 50 minutes of mind-boggling discussion vis-a-vis the 2011 new congress and the Republican party's role in changing America, David Gregory basically said, enough of this heavy stuff, let's talk about what everyone else on the East Coast has been talking about all week -THE BLIZZARD of 2010. And they did. It was light in content, heavy in political fall out, and the only time during the hour on the air when the participants laid back, laughed, joked with each other, and enjoyed being on Meet The Press. It may tell you something! 

So, why should it be the topic for the first ViewPoint of 2011? There really is an underlying premise in focusing on the storm. It happened in one major chunk of the USA. It sent chills - real icy chills - through the homes and vehicles, private and public, of millions of people who were out in the storm, and unable to make it to their destinations. Hundreds of private cars snowbound on highways, thousands of vehicles, cars and buses, stuck in drifts unable to extricate themselves - and airports in the area either closed down, or cancelled flights, stranding hundreds of thousands, many stuck on the tarmacs, or sleeping in the terminals, on benches, the floor, or whatever served to carve out a place to wait for runways to be cleared. For many, it was time measured in multiple hours!

The details of the effect of a 20-30 inch blizzard do not make a ViewPoint. What does, is the fact that as the East was suffering through the 6th largest snow storm in New York history, other parts of the country suffered even more. In the midwest, devastating tornados, one after the other, at least 20 in three states, tore up un counted homes, businesses, public facilities - and killed 7 victims trapped unaware of the pending ferocity of the tornados.

In the West, a storm of unusual duration and geographical area, poured water on the hilly landscapes of urban and suburban areas, flooding homes, washing out roads, driving torrents of mud down slopes previously denude of brush, vegetation, and trees, wiped out by fires that swept the areas months ago. The loss of homes, damage to roads, and the human despair, has not yet been calculated

Not to be outdone by death and destruction in neighboring states, the South joined in the cry for help as snow fell in Atlanta, crops froze in central Florida, and further north, the upper tier of states felt the full effect of this winter of despair as temperatures dropped well below the 0 degree level. 

Those of us who 'suffered' the Blizzard gave vent to their anger with local authorities who failed to plow their streets and alleys fast enough, or they did plow fast enough and in so doing, piled up mountains of snow burying cars in 6 feet, or more, of impassible snow, slush, and ice. There are few winners in this kind of war! The government officials responsible for orderly management of snow storm disturbances, failed to explain reasons for the lack of adequate snow removable vehicles, manpower with shovels, or salt spreaders loaded for just this kind of storm aftermath.

What does all this recap of weather during the week that was, tell you? Two things, at least! In the heavily populated areas, people expect more that can be delivered, and tend to cry the blues to any nosy reporter out there getting the 'man in the street' reactions - and for airing later, the choice interviews were mostly negative, which makes accuracy suspect since the cries of delight from many were given short shrift. Perhaps, the local citizenry was understanding of the immense job of snow removal and accepted the wait for their street to be cleared with equanimity. No matter, it is the main reason the news coverage went from normal reporting to the Blizzard of 2010, exclusively!

More important: in all the above noted disaster areas  where damage, distress, and death followed each storm​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​, you heard little or nothing from the populace that suffered the most. Only in the West where reporters touched on the reactions of many whose homes were mud filled, or partially destroyed by mud and water, and even in those limited glimpses of what had happened, the reactions were mostly despair tinged with some optimism that they were glad to be alive and well - and building a replacement home is not the worst thing that could have happened. Sympathy would be the natural reaction by viewers who caught the interviews. 

In short, nature has, and will continue, to wreak havoc on mother earth. No human alive has​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ ​special dispensation granting exclusive safety or escape from the terrible force of nature at its worst. There is no absolute guarantee that provides the kind of 'miracle' when a tornado destroys a neighbors' home and doesn't touch yours! 

If there is one saving grace for humanity (in general), it is the brains we were born with. The circuitry tells you not to drive when a storm (of any kind) is forecast. The same warning cells suggest reconsideration of choices to build a home on a hillside, or near a flood-prone river. And so on. If you choose to ignore the brain, your only one, don't blame the authorities! It is usually called common sense!

 A HAPPY AND HEALTHY NEW YEAR​ TO ALL!

Richard Carlton

Issue No. 1