Time For Some Moral High Ground

There are a number of bloody conflicts going on in the world at this time, just as there has been for all of recorded history.  Both sides usually blame the other guy and the aggressors always have an excuse for killing non-combatants.  Frequently combatants are people who are just trying to protect their families and homes.

One conflict that has recently made the news has been the current round of combat between the Jewish state of Israel and the people of the Gaza strip.  It has been a true disaster for the people of Gaza.The inequity of the casualties has caused a backlash in Israel and we hope that the emphasis will now be on disaster relief tor the people of Gaza.

I would hope that the conflict between the State of Israel and Hamas would now shift to who can claim the most Moral High Ground by seeking peace.  We would love to see  peace become the sought for prize.

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I don't think I said nearly enough about being aware of what's going on. Read newspapers, watch or listen to the news. 100 years ago being caught in hurricane was something that happened. Today you should have several days warning, and should have supplies before the season even starts. We usually don't have advanced warning about earthquakes, but you should know if you live in an area where severe ones are common. I live in Florida and always have survival supplies, and stockpile essentials before the start of the season. If you live in the country in North Dakota, you are prepared to get snowed in. If you live in a forest, you should be prepared for a forest fire, or maybe a marauding bear. In a democracy like America, you need to know enough about world affairs to know if your President wants to start a war because some foreign leader may have insulted his daddy. And you should know whether it is a good idea to fight that war, or a potential disaster. Hitler and Napoleon both tried to fight offensive wars on two fronts and paid the price.Bush Senior paid enough attention to consider Sadam Hussein the lesser of two evils. We considered Stalin to be the lesser of two evils when we looked at Hitler.

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Facing Disasters

Most of us are lucky enough to get up every morning and be able to go about our day with a normal routine and no problem other than whether to eat a salad for lunch or a nice juicy hamburger. Sugar or not for our coffee?

Sometimes we may wake up in the middle of the night to a tornado, the dam up-river may burst, the volcano next door may erupt, or some other unexpected disaster may occur. How to prepare for a hurricane may be common knowledge for a 5th generation Floridian such as me, and earthquake preparedness may be natural for a long term Californian, but many disasters come unexpectedly.

Paranoia can be a poison eating at your very soul, but there is a reasonable state of disaster preparedness that includes awareness and even participation in volunteer groups that help those who have suffered from a disaster.  Pay attention to local and world news and check such sites as Disaster.com  for advice.  If you live in tornado alley, you need to know how to prepare for a tornado.  Many areas of the country need to know how to prepare for a drought, or prepare for a blizzard.  How to prepare for an Asteroid or a nuclear disaster may be beyond most of us, but there are always general steps.

Volunteering to help with disaster recovery efforts can be a rewarding experience, or even an important part of surviving a disaster that you are part of.  It can even be justified as selfish self-interest as a means of insuring help when you may need it yourself.  Frequently donations for disaster relief may be all that you can do.  Look at how much was pledged to Haiti after the Hatian Earthquake of 2010 (much of which has yet to arrive).

I have mentioned that I write on a number of forums.  Disaster.com is one that I am proud to be part of.  Check it out.