Be Prepared!

We learned it in the Cub Scouts, and again in the Boy Scouts, and yet again in the Sea Scouts, and if that was not enough, it was preached nearly daily in the military. It makes you wonder just exactly what does it take for us to take such things to heart? But no matter how dedicated we are, nothing can really prepare you for the afternoon surprise that Moore Oklahoma got on Monday.

Whether we blame it on global warming or just the way we hold our mouth, the fact is that these things happen and tornadoes are certainly nothing new to Oklahoma. It does cause you to wonder why anyone would build a house in such areas that did not have a basement, but meeting the needs of prospective buyers and not having a government that is too overbearing … well, you get the point.

It is, yet another one of those things that we all wish there was an answer, perhaps THE answer, but then again that would be expecting mother nature, God, and any other host of things or people we ask the “why me” question to have an answer. Some things simply cannot be planned or protected against without an intrusion upon our rights. Let’s face it, too many of us look to the Government to solve our problems when, like some other issues of the day, they simply cannot or should not.

Once again, it falls to us, every citizen to take the necessary steps and put the needed corrections into place and once again, that starts with simple education. Teaching our children not to depend upon the government for every little tiny thing, but to be willing to stand up and take a high degree of responsibility for the decisions we make as well as their eventual outcome. We can’t pass the buck to the Federal Government, State Government, our churches, schools, etc, etc. We have to start this at home, talking to our children and reminding them that the benefits of living in a free country start with each of us being willing to stand up and be accountable.

The folks in Oklahoma have dealt with the issues of Tornado’s for a very long time. The South has become the new tornado alley and they will have to adjust their way of thinking and make lots of changes and preparations if they are to survive these constant storms. The bottom line is that there is no free lunch, no guarantee’s, and no matter how hard you try, it will always be possible to do everything right, and still lose.