"If it takes constant media stories about impending disasted to get people to assemble an earthquake preparedness kit for their home, I'm all for it."

I would be, too, except if the disaster doesn't hit in the next few months they'll have the public all in a frenzy about ____________________ by then. Can't keep going on and on about "the big one" year after year. Six months from now the public crisis that has everybody's knickers in a twist will be something else (missing teens, corporate scandal, leaked memos, whatever).
Disaster kits have to be maintained; fresh batteries, fresh water, rotating fresh food stocks, etc... Assuming the public lacks the discipline to do the job, a burden falls on gov't to provide for the public good. A distant centralized gov't seems less well suited to the management and disbursement of such reserves as do local gov'ts. Shorter response/delivery time, better knowledge of the local population's tastes and needs, etc... (Apparently there are no Creole or "soul food" flavored MREs ).
Disasters happen.
Anybody else find the little speech John Roberts gave to the Senate Judiciary Committee moving? I was getting kind of choked up myself, being a sensitive new-age kind of guy.


Last edited by BigWill; 09/13/05 11:15 PM.