An Open Letter to The Northeast: The recent events in Atlanta and throughout the Southeast have certainly demonstrated the differences that exist between certain regions throughout the United States. Even your television personalities have felt the need to chime in and point fingers at our crisis and blame our government, local schools and even our citizens for a “lack of preparedness” and laugh at the notion that we have not “learned our lessons” from prior snow events that have crippled our cities and interstates. Many have gone as far as to call the Southeast “backwards” and the internet is clogged with mocking representations of Atlanta resembling a scene from “The Walking Dead”. Granted, statistically, your school systems are better than ours and you certainly have far more public resources and government infrastructure than most of the towns throughout the south, but let’s take a moment to look at how you apply all of this “education” and the plethora of equipment your tax dollars maintain for such events: Was it not just in 2011 that a hurricane cut a path of destruction throughout the north, leaving many of your cities devastated if not completely destroyed? It was, officially, just a little tropical cyclone by the time it struck most of you? I mean, really, in the south, most of us would celebrate such an event by enjoying rum-runners and margaritas with our neighbors over a simple little storm. But, when that storm hit you it was horrific. Did we, in the south, shake our heads and roll our eyes at your “lack of preparedness” or mock your neighbors that lost their lives in that storm? Did we laugh at your homes that were lost or your farms that were flooded? No, but many of us prayed for you, with several of our churches and volunteer groups sending help and resources paid for by OUR tax dollars and generosity to help YOU cope. And, when we arrived, there was no finger pointing at YOUR governments or residents. We were simply just there to help. But, maybe there should have been some mocking of your region? After all, you “knew it was coming”, as so many of you have been quick to point out in reference to our recent snow storms. And, yes, we did know this snow was coming. And, it is true that the reports are accurate that it was only a single inch of the white stuff that caused so many problems here for all of us “unprepared” and “backward” folks in south. And, perhaps, we should have “learned our lessons” from prior storms such as the one that hit in 2011 or the infamous “Blizzard of ‘93” that dropped a whopping 4” of snow and closed down our interstates for a few days. Realistically, we see these storms so often, I suppose it is reasonable for you to expect everyone in the south to have a 50 lb bag of salt on hand and a set of chains for their tires in their trunk? Right? But, wait – then again - was it not just one year after Hurricane Irene struck that you were suddenly struck by another “little storm” named Sandy? Again, a little CAT 2 is a mild event for us down “slow folk” here in the south but, in the north, that weather system brought you to your knees and cost many people their lives and homes and CONTINUES to have residual effects throughout your region. And when you were crippled by that weather, did we ask how you could be so “stupid” as to have such a small event affect you to that degree, especially after you had just experienced such disaster a year before? Did we sit around our computers making mocking photos of your misery? No, because for YOU it was NOT a small weather event. And, for YOU, it was beyond what your residents and governments were used to dealing with on a regular basis. I suppose, perhaps we would have had the right to make fun of you? Again, you saw that storm coming just as we knew the forecast for snow? No, if I remember correctly - and I do because I was there – many of us “dumb rednecks from down south”, instead of offering up a critique, had begun to mobilize on your behalf a week before that storm made landfall. If you remember, we, much like you and YOUR news reporters, yes, we also saw Sandy coming. While you slept, our Power Crews and electricians were on the roads and rolling up I-95 days before what you labeled as a “Super Storm” even touched your shores. Our churches were busy collecting water and food for you and loading buses to come to your aid. We sent thousands of volunteers, many of whom drove over sixteen hours in their own vehicles, to help you clean up your homes, clear your roads, and cry with you over your losses – both of property and life. Armed with heavy equipment, and offering free labor, many of our companies sent workers to assist. Why? We knew you would need help to deal with a weather event that, though rare for you, is routine for us. And, with that said, many of you may remember some of those small acts of kindness that were demonstrated to you in YOUR time of need when Sandy struck? Some may remember the kind stranger with the chainsaw - the burly one from North Carolina that spoke with a thick southern drawl. You know, he was the same one that was helping to clear the trees out of the road so you could get through to bring that insulin to your elderly mother when your local government was too overwhelmed to clear that particular street? Several may remember the missionaries from Georgia, Alabama and Tennessee that showed up at your door, not to preach, but simply to bring you a meal and bottles of water to make sure your family could eat that day when all of your stores were closed and your children were so hungry they were in tears? And, at least one neighborhood should remember a certain southern power crew – the one that showed up to connect your power after you had been neglected by Con Ed for over a week and you were crying over concerns for a neighbor that was machine dependent to live? Do you not remember how panicked you were because you could not find gas for your generator that day and were worried Sandy would claim another life when the machine shut off? There were a lot of situations like that. Remember? There are some of you that may never know the names of all of those “backwards” people, young and old, that suddenly just showed up one day and began clearing your yards or shoveling the sand out of your streets when you, yourself, were so “unprepared” with the lack of the “proper equipment” to do so. Yes, they were the same ones lugging shovels and trash bags, that came seeking no thanks or compensation other than a smile and a wave as they moved on to help your neighbor. I suppose, we could sit around on our porches down here, sipping mint juleps and watching The Weather Channel, as we ask obnoxious questions (considering you’ve now been through two hurricanes in the past two years). I mean, seriously, you don’t keep such basic supplies as shovels, rakes and chainsaws in your apartments? How can you be so unprepared when you HAVE WARNING that a hurricane is coming? Really, there is not at least one person in your neighborhood that owns an ATV and is willing to help out everyone in the event of an emergency? We could point fingers and ask, how could you not possibly ensure you had a week’s supply of food and cases of bottled water on hand in your 8th floor walk-up flat for such an event? But, we don’t. So, the next time you see a snow storm coming towards the south, instead of mocking us, perhaps you will remember how WE responded to YOUR storms. Maybe, instead of criticizing us, you’ll send a few of your sanders, or salt spreaders, down in our direction and help clear our streets? Instead of laughing at us, maybe you’ll send a snow-mobile or two to help reach our frail and elderly as we sent our ATV’s to help yours? Maybe you’ll consider the fact that when snow hits the southeast we will likely only need your help, your equipment, and your volunteers for a couple of days - but the next time a hurricane rocks your world you’ll need our help for months. Or, maybe next time, we’ll just assume YOU’VE had WARNING are PREPARED to weather the storm? Sincerely, - The Southeast
Posted on: Thu, 30 Jan 2014 18:40:43 +0000
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