So, another round of tornadoes blew through WayDownSouth late Sunday night and into early Sunday morning. These come on the heels of the meteorlogical monsters that twisted their way across the state, barely ten months ago. Things kicked up after everyone at YOHOS had bedded down for the night. When Mr. Snark rose at 4:30am, the morning news displayed some grim details. The sirens for our county went off for a very brief time but we were far from harm's way. I got pretty tickled with my favorite local weather man...he had a few choice words for two groups of folks that seem to come out of the woodwork when things like this happen. Meet the Boneheads and the Spectators.
Boneheads are the folks that like to stand out in the storm du jour to capture personal video or pictures. Likewise, they are known to take to their vehicles to get said video and still shots. Why? I really don't know. Followers of the "ten feet tall and bullet proof" mentality...maybe they pattern their life after this one..."if you're going to stupid, you better be tough." Well, I'm just here to tell you...sometimes, there isn't enough tough to outweigh the stupid! And I've yet to meet a person who is actually bullet proof. Death comes to all of us...no way around it. However, death tends to come sooner to folks who abandon what ever small bit of common sense they might possess and decide to take on a tornado that's raging at 120 mph! Do they have so little value of themselves and the importance that they have in the lives of those who love them? Is the momentary thrill of being faced with your own mortality so fabulous that it outweighs the distinct possibility of your life continuing? Here's an idea...if you want to get that kind of thrill, hope on Hwy 280...the main drag through Bamaham...you don't need a tornado to see your life flash before your eyes!
Spectators....they come to look, to stare, to gawk, to ogle, to on-look, to watch, to observe, to eyeball, to rubber neck and to peer. Without fail, they also come with cameras...like it's an amusement park. What they don't come to do is work. They don't come prepared to be part of rescue or recovery or relief efforts. And since they aren't part of the solution, they become part of the problem. As if it needs to be any more complicated. I have witnessed it. Church bus...the bus...not a van...not a carload of people...but the BIG church bus pulls into the relief HQ...everyone piles off...they stand around...look around...get back on and then proceed to drive through the neighborhood. Well, what used to be a neighborhood. They drive through the devastation and take pictures. Then, they leave.
So here's the tip....don't be a bonehead! The TV station has people who are trained to get the storm shots and to do it safely. Don't be a spectator! If you're not working, you've got no business being in a disaster struck area...if you're not going to assist, please don't be a hindrance.
Boneheads are the folks that like to stand out in the storm du jour to capture personal video or pictures. Likewise, they are known to take to their vehicles to get said video and still shots. Why? I really don't know. Followers of the "ten feet tall and bullet proof" mentality...maybe they pattern their life after this one..."if you're going to stupid, you better be tough." Well, I'm just here to tell you...sometimes, there isn't enough tough to outweigh the stupid! And I've yet to meet a person who is actually bullet proof. Death comes to all of us...no way around it. However, death tends to come sooner to folks who abandon what ever small bit of common sense they might possess and decide to take on a tornado that's raging at 120 mph! Do they have so little value of themselves and the importance that they have in the lives of those who love them? Is the momentary thrill of being faced with your own mortality so fabulous that it outweighs the distinct possibility of your life continuing? Here's an idea...if you want to get that kind of thrill, hope on Hwy 280...the main drag through Bamaham...you don't need a tornado to see your life flash before your eyes!
Spectators....they come to look, to stare, to gawk, to ogle, to on-look, to watch, to observe, to eyeball, to rubber neck and to peer. Without fail, they also come with cameras...like it's an amusement park. What they don't come to do is work. They don't come prepared to be part of rescue or recovery or relief efforts. And since they aren't part of the solution, they become part of the problem. As if it needs to be any more complicated. I have witnessed it. Church bus...the bus...not a van...not a carload of people...but the BIG church bus pulls into the relief HQ...everyone piles off...they stand around...look around...get back on and then proceed to drive through the neighborhood. Well, what used to be a neighborhood. They drive through the devastation and take pictures. Then, they leave.
So here's the tip....don't be a bonehead! The TV station has people who are trained to get the storm shots and to do it safely. Don't be a spectator! If you're not working, you've got no business being in a disaster struck area...if you're not going to assist, please don't be a hindrance.
Glad you're all safe!
ReplyDelete