Hurricane victims positive words

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Hi, all,

Here's why I am optimistic about our ability to get through y2k by pulling together. And why I am turned off so much by the attitude that we need to be shooting our neighbors to protect "our own", as if we are somehow more worthy of survival than everyone else. This goes for not only "strangers" from down the road, or around the bend, but also for "foreigners" from across the sea or over the border.

It also can be a warning flag telling us to prepare, prepare, prepare, and don't wait until the last minute to take action.

Al

-- Al K. Lloyd (all@ready.now), October 08, 1999

Answers

Big OOPS, here's the letter:

WINDS OF KINDNESS

This hurricane evacuation has been one of the most horrible experiences of my adult life. 500,000 to 1,000,000 automobiles, trucks, boats, motor homes and campers, all in a line, on every street, road, and highway and all headed West out of harm's way. The 178 mile per hours winds of death were blowing at our backs -- looking to suck up and destroy everything we have worked so hard to accomplish, not to mention all that we hold dear to our hearts.

As I traveled down Highway 82 from our home in Brunswick, Georgia, to Waycross, with my wife, son, daughter-in-law, friend, six dogs, three cats, all packed into three small automobiles -- none of us realized that only an hour down the road an even bigger, faster, large wind lay before us. Traffic was so backed up that we never traveled more than six miles per hour nor did we ever move forward move than 500 feet without having to stop. I reached over and turned on the COB. radio to see if there was an accident ahead.

Suddenly I noticed a woman and her friend stranded along the road with their hood raised. Their car had overheated. People were jumping from their cars and dropping off gallons of their own drinking water to the woman. As we passed, giving her another gallon of water, the woman was pouring water into her radiator when it spewed back into her face scalding her on the side of the head. Immediately three or four strangers jumped from their slow moving cars to rush to her assistance, offering her towels, and several men came over to cool her radiator for her.

Another mile or so down the road a trucker came on the radio and asked if there was anyone who could tell him where he could stop and get a soft drink -- he had nothing to drink as all the stores were sold out of beverages or closed. A voice responded and asked him his location. He replied that he was passing road marker 19. The voice responded and told him to look on sign post 21 when he drove by it. Suddenly horns started blowing which could be heard for miles. As we passed marker 21 there sat a cold refreshing Mountain Dew on top the marker.

People who would ordinarily be pushed to their limits were jumping from their vehicles trying to help anyone and everyone they could. When we finally arrived in Waycross nine hours later (a drive that would normally take about 35 minutes) we had no where to go as all the motels for three states were full. We slept in the automobiles with all the animals. It was also one of the most restless nights I have ever encountered but we made the best of it. The next morning we arose at about six o'clock and just stood around with thousands of other stranded people. It was cold, cloudy and the wind was blowing at about 45 miles per hour. Along comes the local electric company, asking us if we need any help finding a local shelter. We could not go to a shelter because we had animals and we were not about to leave our pets, even if it meant warmth and hot food.

There were no restaurants open for fifty miles so there was no hot food and we could not find any bread as all the stores were sold out. So we just ate what we could and made the best of it. Several hours later an African American woman drove up and stopped where we were huddled and said, "I know you do not know me from Adam but I would like to invite you to my home to take a hot shower and clean up if you wish." As we traveled to her home we talked about her new Web TV and how proud she was of it. My son and I, being Web TV wizards, left her house that day leaving her unit packed with search engines, folders, web sites and as much stuff as we could get into her unit. Not to mention signing her up as a new Heartwarmers4u member! When the authorities gave the all clear we headed back to our warm sweet home.

Yes, it was a bad and dangerous experience and one that I never wish to repeat. But the strong winds that were ahead of us yesterday were the winds of kindness, friendship, courtesy and love. Not even the dangerous winds of this deadly hurricane could ever change the determination, the fortitude or the compassion of the wonderful people who make this country as great as it is.

AMERICA, I am so proud of you!

-- Roger Dean Kiser, Sr. trampolineone@webtv.net c. September 15, 1999



-- Al K. Lloyd (all@ready.now), October 08, 1999.


Excellent post. Although many conceive the reaction to Y2K to be something on the order of the LA riots, I believe that most Americans would pull together in a time of adversity. The zoos of the inner cities are a different jungles than most of America.

Before you EGI's (extreme get its) go nuts, I don't personally plan on hanging out near 7-11's. And although I have enough firearms to go 175 or so rounds before reloading, I would only use my weaponry on those who might go the distance in an attempt to harm my family. Certainly no one would be shot to protect food. That just don't set right with me. Life is way to short anyhow.

God Bless America

-- the Virginian (anyone seen Trampus?) (America@Iamsoproudofyou.org), October 08, 1999.


Not sure any of us said we'd shoot to protect land or food, only family. NOW, understand, if I have a limited quantity put by, and that is what will suppport my family, I will PROBABLY NOT look kindly on the idea that I NEED to SHARE that with WHOEVER COMES DOWN THE ROAD, carrying a baseball bat or firearm. I MAY be willing to hand some of what I have put by to someone who ASKS, but demands with threats of violence will be dealt with as the threats to my family they are.

Night train

-- jes a pissed ol footballer (nighttr@in.lane), October 08, 1999.


Virginian,

You ARE kidding aren't you?

Hell yeah I'd shoot someone over food. You claim that you would shoot someone only if they attempted to harm your family. Anyone attempting to take my food is attempting to harm my family. If they take my food then what do we eat? Meal worms & maggots? I don't think so. As far as I'm concerned, there's no room on this earth for someone who's willing to take ANYTHING of mine by force (if I'm there, it would be by force).

-- NokternL (nokternl@anywhereusa.com), October 08, 1999.


Nokterl:

I reckon I should have stated further that anyone desiring to take my food by force would be considered a threat to my family. My apology for getting you upset.

How big is your Bubba Truck anyway?

-- -- the Virginian (anyone seen Trampus?) (America@Iamsoproudofyou.org)), October 08, 1999.



To ask is one thing. Heck, unless I was really hurting, I would offer.

To demand is another story. A story that doesn't have a happy ending.

Tick... Tock... <:00=

-- Sysman (y2kboard@yahoo.com), October 08, 1999.


I'm wondering.When you said that all the stores were out of food and I quote"We made do with what we had and tried to make the best of it." What did you have?

-- Dan Newsome (BOONSTAR1@webnet.tv), October 08, 1999.

Virginian,

I'm not upset. I just think your statement showed ignorance.

You stated that "Certainly no one would be shot to protect food." Given this statement, one would assume that they were given a choice to shoot or not shoot. With this scenario, one would have to be present at the scene of the attempted theft to have that choice. Now, if someone is trying to steal my food, and I'm present, it would have to be by force. What would you do, stand there and let them take it?

By the way, what's that stupid ass comment about the "Bubba Truck" for?

-- NokternL (nokternl@anywhereusa.com), October 08, 1999.


Aloha Al - Mahalo for sharing this letter, and your own personal thoughts. I've said, in many ways and in many posts, that the number one item on my prep list is people. I've done my personal family preparations to the best of my ability and according to my own personal expectations. Now, I continue to be busy, busy, busy prepping by creating community where I am able. I don't even talk about IT very much -- I'm just making friends, helping others to make friends, trying to help people to connect with eachother on whatever level they're able to. They may not know why I'm doing this, or even be aware that I am. Most think I'm just kind of a nice person. My hope is that, should the need arise, there will be many who don't even remember me, but who are damned glad that, for some reason, they have so many friends. Be prepared, stay optimistic Al. It will make a difference. By the way, I appreciate your global view. Aloha -- grngrl

-- grngrl (jhandt@gte.net), October 08, 1999.

grngrl,

I am prepping in exactly the same way. I even spent a few months hanging out in local bars and coffee houses just to expand my circle of familiar faces. It worked too. I used tarot cards as an ice breaker. I rarely talked about IT but I did get to meet a lot of GIs that way.

-- R (riversoma@aol.com), October 08, 1999.



NokterL,

I am still so very sorry that I have angered you. This is disconcerting. I am trying to say that I would not simply kill anyone who needed food and came to me for a handout. However, if they bring a bat or gun or whatever, they will be shot to death without mercy. Now please forgive me that I did not convey what you would have preferred I convey.

Bubba Truck. I guess that is a term that has to do with the size of your ego. The bigger the Bubba Truck you have the bigger your ego. Seems to me that you must have a huge Bubba Truck sitting in your driveway.

Very large Bubba Truck owners:

Talk big.

They are the shoot their neighbor to protect "their own" types.

They also believe that their survival is far more important than anyone else.

They are the ones that grab the toothpicks at the checkout counter at restaurants.

They hate wearing suits but wear cowboy boots a size to small with three piece suits when they go to weddings or funerals.

They bowl on the local bowling team every Tuesday night come hell or highwater.

Many have trucks far greater in value than the home in which they live.

They use foul language when in distress.

They tell long boring stories. They tell those stories so often that people get bored with them and walk away when a story is told for the umteenthdozen time.

They use vaseline or some other grease to slick back their hair.

They don't go to church but will not mow their lawn on the Sabbath.

They are the types that when hunting season comes around, will shoot anything that moves and call it "buck fever".

-- -- the Virginian (America@Iamsoproudofyou.org), October 08, 1999.


Al K. Lloyd -- You're trying to compare a localized disaster with y2k (if y2k turns out to be catastrophic). There is no analogy here. If y2k spans the globe, it is an entirely different situation. I would have no problem helping somebody during something like you mentioned. I know I can drive 500 miles somewhere else and get food and water. If y2k gets really bad and it is widespread, then what? I think I'll keep my resources. Sorry, but you haven't convinced me and it really proves nothing. No cigar from me.

-- Larry (cobol.programmer@usa.net), October 08, 1999.

Night Train - you got it exactly right.

Y2k is not a hurricane, it is different from anything we have seen before. We HOPE people will be generous, and usually they are, but we cannot FORCE anyone to be generous.

Even though most people are cooperative, there are always some who are not. While the Red Cross is feeding doughnuts to the victims, others will be looting. I see no big disconnect between saying I'll use force to protect my family, yet be generous to those in need.

-- bw (home@puget.sound), October 08, 1999.


Mr. Kiser, thank you. I too believe when the SHTF, people will be there to help.

-- TT (ttp@2.com), October 08, 1999.

It's a great, heartwarming story, Al, and one that needed telling. But it WAS a limited incident and possibly the Virginian's "Bubba" types that might cause problems would most likely have stayed at home to do battle with the storm. I'm in an urban setting and I'm not quite so confident that everyone will behave as Miss Manners would like.

-- Old Git (anon@spamproblems.com), October 08, 1999.


Anybody read stories about wartorn countries and what their citizens did to one another to get food? Seen any recent foreign films in that genre? Can you say NYC, DC, LA riots? A hurricane, which is a localized disaster, though it may be widespread as Floyd was in its damage, is NOT anything by comparison to what Y2K has the potential to be. I cannot imagine what we will face, but it will not necessarily or even probably be the cooperative spirit evidenced in this really moving story about commendable actions on the part of people who knew that the situation wasn't interminable...or necessarily even terminal.

-- Elaine Seavey (Gods1sheep@aol.com), October 08, 1999.

That's pretty cute Virginia. Did you make that up all by yourself? I hope you didn't waste too much time trying to come up with such a clever definition.

No need to keep apologizing. I realize that you can't help your stupidity. Don't worry about it. Some people are just born that way.

It's funny that you have now decided to say that you wouldn't kill someone that came to you for a handout if they were in need. Why didn't you just say that in the first place? You could have prevented yourself from looking like an idiot.

Look, if you can't deal with someone pointing out your faults when you make an idiotic comment, then I suggest you put a little more thought into what you say.

By the way, feel free to comment further as to why you associate me with a "Bubba Truck" (I just love that term. It's so cute.) by reading a couple of my posts. I'm willing to devote a little of my time to point out your faults there too (especially after your little bragging spell about your arsenal (i.e. "I have enough firearms to go 175 or so rounds before reloading")). Hmmmm....maybe that's why you know about those "Bubba Trucks". Could it be that you have one?

Hey, if all else fails, you can always go back to Beetle's thread and give him/her another one of your suggestions on how to commit suicide. I'm sure that will make you feel better.

-- NokternL (nokternl@anywhereusa.com), October 08, 1999.


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