Friday, July 21, 2017

When the News Becomes Too Real


Missile Graphic from the New York Times
I usually watch the news on television and feel detached from the unfolding events. Unless the action is happening in my own backyard, I feel like the activity is not likely to affect me personally.

That is changing as the world continues to grow smaller.

An article this morning in The Washington Post, titled Hawaii rolling out civil defense plan for North Korean missile attack, took me back to my days in grade school when we practiced sheltering in place and civil defense drills. 

What caught me was how Hawaii, in response to something that happened almost an ocean away on during Independence Day celebrations is creating a plan to protect people. 

Here is an excerpt from the article:

The state of Hawaii is formulating a preparedness plan for a North Korean missile attack, much to the dismay of the state’s tourism boosters.
“We do not want to cause any undue stress for the public,” Vern T. Miyagi, Hawaii’s Emergency Management Agency administrator said in a statement reported Thursday by the state’s news media, but “we cannot wait to begin our public information campaign to ensure that Hawaii residents will know what do if such an event occurs.”
The full plan for that campaign will be unveiled Friday, according to Hawaii News Now. 

So while I watch the news, sometimes the news becomes more than just a detached event on the television and it requires action. I applaud Hawaii for their proactive response to the news. It is scary, but sometimes we need to respond and be prepared.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

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