Tuesday, June 17, 2008 started off as a beautiful spring day throughout most of the United States. Then an unprecedented string of late-season tornadoes struck the southwestern corner of Missouri, leaving three dead and massive property damage. It was beginning to become almost commonplace: as volunteers finished their search-and-rescue missions in one area, they moved on to another. Granted, the major areas of destruction were along the east and west coasts, and those major metropolitan areas were still - exactly five months after the O.U.T.R.A.G.E. bombings - in turbid times as they tried to recover from multiple disasters.
Branson, Missouri - one of America's newest "hot spots" for gaudy entertainment - had not been affected by the bombings, the west coast earthquake, or the east coast hurricane. O.U.T.R.A.G.E. had bombed a few of the luxury condos and seasonal homes occupied by some of the country's most decadent performers, but - other than that - the city remained pretty much as it had been. Now, a violent tornado had ripped through the town, unplugging most of the glitzy city lights. By nightfall on Tuesday, not many of the nightspots were still standing. Country-and-western stars were seen helping to pull victims from mountains of rubble that used to be upscale hotels. Singer George Jones was rescued from his hotel suite by a group of devoted fans who heard his raspy cries for help underneath a pile of wreckage; other than some minor bruises, he had survived unscathed. In a gesture of unusual proportion, he pledged $500,000 to help with the local rescue efforts, publicly thanking those who saved his life. This, too, was becoming commonplace: as Americans suffered together, they also finally were learning to work together, live together, and share their pain, their fortunes, and their humanity. Regardless of their skin color, creed, net worth, political belief, or sexual persuasion, Americans were becoming a team again - just as they had during the days of a team of conestoga wagons crossing the great barren frontier. Gradually, "All for One...ME" was being replaced with "All for One...US".
St. Kitts was abuzz with new information about the tornado-stricken area. O.U.T.R.A.G.E. dispatched volunteers to help the local O.U.T.R.A.G.E. 'cell' cope with coordinating relief efforts. The American Red Cross was there, but had little impact since it, too, had seen its national organizational structure collapse. O.U.T.R.A.G.E. had targeted this venerable charity organization because of its dismal corporate mentality. Humongous executive salaries, over the past few decades, had eaten away at the once-humongous capital reserves the Red Cross had for national disasters. Now, most Red Cross units were operating as independent, local charities, relying on independent, local contributions in cash and human resources. The O.U.T.R.A.G.E. television broadcasts were replaced from time to time with breaking news about the tornado damage. Aid was pouring in from all over the country, and from around the world.
The 'National Parade of Honor' had been scheduled to be at the George Washington Carver National Monument near Neosho, Missouri at the end of June, but - considering there wasn't much left of the small community - the VFW there requested that it be excluded from the parade tour.
Exciting things were coming together across America. People used to living in 2800-sq. ft. single-dwelling houses were now sharing tents with multiple families. Television snippets from all corners of the country vaguely resembled what most U.S. citizens were only used to seeing on news broadcasts from Iraq or Iran, or other war-torn regions of the world. While many Americans had this preconceived notion that such turbulence could never come to the good old U.S.A., they now found it necessary to open their eyes to the stark reality: it, indeed, could - and had - happened on American soil. A donation of blankets and shawls from the "Crescent" - a middle east version of the Red Cross - arrived in Branson via Federal Express overnight. The huge package had come from the Crescent headquarters in Baghdad, Iraq.
So, there apparently were some Iraqis that didn't hate Americans enough to ignore them in their time of tumult. If these 'common people' could show compassion for unknown victims eight thousand miles away, why couldn't the leaders of all the warring factions learn to show comparable munificence?
Branson, Missouri - one of America's newest "hot spots" for gaudy entertainment - had not been affected by the bombings, the west coast earthquake, or the east coast hurricane. O.U.T.R.A.G.E. had bombed a few of the luxury condos and seasonal homes occupied by some of the country's most decadent performers, but - other than that - the city remained pretty much as it had been. Now, a violent tornado had ripped through the town, unplugging most of the glitzy city lights. By nightfall on Tuesday, not many of the nightspots were still standing. Country-and-western stars were seen helping to pull victims from mountains of rubble that used to be upscale hotels. Singer George Jones was rescued from his hotel suite by a group of devoted fans who heard his raspy cries for help underneath a pile of wreckage; other than some minor bruises, he had survived unscathed. In a gesture of unusual proportion, he pledged $500,000 to help with the local rescue efforts, publicly thanking those who saved his life. This, too, was becoming commonplace: as Americans suffered together, they also finally were learning to work together, live together, and share their pain, their fortunes, and their humanity. Regardless of their skin color, creed, net worth, political belief, or sexual persuasion, Americans were becoming a team again - just as they had during the days of a team of conestoga wagons crossing the great barren frontier. Gradually, "All for One...ME" was being replaced with "All for One...US".
St. Kitts was abuzz with new information about the tornado-stricken area. O.U.T.R.A.G.E. dispatched volunteers to help the local O.U.T.R.A.G.E. 'cell' cope with coordinating relief efforts. The American Red Cross was there, but had little impact since it, too, had seen its national organizational structure collapse. O.U.T.R.A.G.E. had targeted this venerable charity organization because of its dismal corporate mentality. Humongous executive salaries, over the past few decades, had eaten away at the once-humongous capital reserves the Red Cross had for national disasters. Now, most Red Cross units were operating as independent, local charities, relying on independent, local contributions in cash and human resources. The O.U.T.R.A.G.E. television broadcasts were replaced from time to time with breaking news about the tornado damage. Aid was pouring in from all over the country, and from around the world.
The 'National Parade of Honor' had been scheduled to be at the George Washington Carver National Monument near Neosho, Missouri at the end of June, but - considering there wasn't much left of the small community - the VFW there requested that it be excluded from the parade tour.
Exciting things were coming together across America. People used to living in 2800-sq. ft. single-dwelling houses were now sharing tents with multiple families. Television snippets from all corners of the country vaguely resembled what most U.S. citizens were only used to seeing on news broadcasts from Iraq or Iran, or other war-torn regions of the world. While many Americans had this preconceived notion that such turbulence could never come to the good old U.S.A., they now found it necessary to open their eyes to the stark reality: it, indeed, could - and had - happened on American soil. A donation of blankets and shawls from the "Crescent" - a middle east version of the Red Cross - arrived in Branson via Federal Express overnight. The huge package had come from the Crescent headquarters in Baghdad, Iraq.
So, there apparently were some Iraqis that didn't hate Americans enough to ignore them in their time of tumult. If these 'common people' could show compassion for unknown victims eight thousand miles away, why couldn't the leaders of all the warring factions learn to show comparable munificence?
posted by Bushwacker! at 5:08 AM
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