All Ashore! Irene Heads to New York; People, Save Thyself
If forecasts are correct, the New York City Area will bear the brunt of Hurricane Irene this weekend. Our restive landlord, Mother Nature, is clearly not finished with New York City after dispatching the after-effects of a Virginia earthquake earlier in the week, to little avail.
Civil authorities are taking the proper precautions by shutting down mass transportation to discourage the public from going out into the expected storm mayhem as well as evacuating those from suspected flood areas. Mayor Bloomberg is out in full force doing the public a service by forewarning them of the dangers ahead. Still, one cannot wonder if he is kicking off the campaign for his fourth term as mayor of the Big Apple.
Kudos to Governor Christie for telling idiotic hurricane watchers in Asbury Park to “get the hell off of the beach.” Perhaps the New Jersey Education Association leadership can take solace in the fact that he treats all members of the same class equally.
And given the government’s overreach in our lives, resulting in an expectation from many that it is the cure for any and all problems we face, it cannot be said loud enough that the safety of individuals for this hurricane, and all similar calamities, is in the hands of each individual, themselves. This means getting out of areas that may become a danger zone during the hurricane and having adequate supplies after the worst has hit and civil normality is not back online. Despite the ongoing message that President Obama may have given since in office, government clearly cannot save every person out there whether standing on beach shoals or the shoals of life.
Finally, a good word must be put in for the citizenry of the New York metropolitan area. Highly caricatured, and often rightly so, the goodness of New Yorkers, like all Americans, comes out when the chips are down. 9/11 clearly showed that. When the cleanup starts, look for stories of all-too common New York valor.
No matter how this hurricane plays out, either in stoicism, heroism, or something in between, I believe that New Yorkers will prove worthy of the label of that hearty and ultimately noble breed, “New Yorker.”
Godspeed.
-I.M. Windee
