Media Saturation and a History of False Alarms

May 25^th, 2011 (10:57 AM) – The tornado sirens just started going off. Almost simultaneously I saw The Weather Channel  app on my iPad pop up an alert announcing a tornado warning for my area. I ended the call I was on. I called Abbey down to the basement, and flipped on the local news.

I should state that Abbey is not real fond of severe weather, and I would not be exaggerating to say that tornado warnings really freak her out. At one point she asked, “Is it this bad every year?” Perhaps it is her approaching freedom of the parental control (and advice and comfort) that arrives with her departure for college that has increased her awareness of this potential danger. But that statement got me thinking, how bad was it when I was a kid?

 I remember numerous times as a kid growing up in Rock Island, IL where we retreated to the basement to seek cover. It was not often, but it happened enough that I can remember it. At least once a year, or so it seems.  We’d huddle in the basement with the radio trying to get some news. News was hard to come by from an AM radio in the late 60’s and early 70’s in Rock Island, IL.

Today we are overloaded with news. As I am watching Johnny Rowlands pilot NewsChopper 9 HD around some ominous clouds while transmitting the images to the HD TV in my basement office, I get a call from my mother in Rock Island, IL who is watching coverage of our severe weather on The Weather Channel. The Weather Channel scooped Johnny and Joel Nichols by reporting a tornado on the ground near 135^th and Metcalf. My mom, of course, is freaking out at this news as Rachel’s school is 5 blocks from that intersection. Shortly after that KMBC’s First Alert Doppler Radar HD showed the rotation near 135^th and Mission Road, and NewsChopper 9 captures several funnel clouds momentarily reaching the ground.

As I write this, I think how fortunate we are to have this much information available. I am 100% certain that this saves lives. Even a few seconds of a warning can mean the difference between life, injury, or death. But it also can be frightening. I think Abbey is fairly justified to be freaked out.  I sort of wonder how I would react if I were young. I think maybe my age plays against me. All those years of false alarms and uneventful trips to the basement may have given me a sense of apathy and indifference. I think this apathy is worse than growing up in the 70’s with limited information from an AM radio. At least then I was safely huddled in the basement.

Thoughts on a girl that makes her dad proud – EVERY DAY!

Last night Abbey graduated from Blue Valley North High School. This is arguably the best high school in the state of Kansas. Is that at all like being the best ski resort in Jamaica? No. It really is a great school. Abbey was recognized as one of the Top 10 Students (based on GPA) in her class. She is not a National Merit Scholar. She did not have a 36 on the ACT. If she had not been screwed by her freshman AP Chemistry teacher, she could have had a chance at #1 in her class. The point? She is an amazing student that worked very hard for this accomplishment. Is this boasting? I don’t care. She is an amazing young lady. She  makes me proud – EVERY DAY!

Abbey’s best friend also graduated from BVN. I really like Steph. She’s smart. She’s a talented soccer player. She sings with Abbey in Chambers.  If you know her parents it’s not too hard to figure out why she is a fine young lady. Abbey and Steph became good friends in middle school. What I really like and respect about Steph is that she accepted Abbey as a friend unconditionally. This is hard enough to find at any point in our lives, not to mention middle school. Abbey’s closest friends up to then were not what I would call good friends. “J” would be a friend when it was convenient, and would not hesitate to torment others to make herself feel better. Her other "close" friend knew this, and often played in to it. If only this immaturity was limited to middle school. But Steph accepted Abbey for everything she is (and isn’t). We all should have a friend like Steph.

Fortunately, Abbey has cultivated other friends with similar qualities. I am quite certain that the character of a young adult can be equal parts who their friends and who their parents are. Abbey has a great group of friends. If I picked them myself, there is no way I could have done as good of a job. I hope she does not follow in her father’s path and lose contact with most of them. Friends like this are hard to come by. Don’t screw it up by leaving them behind.

As I wrap up this up, I realize I can’t forget the most important person in her life – her amazing mom. They have a unique and wonderful relationship. They are close like a mother and daughter should be. The cool thing here is that it happened before the child becomes an adult. Abbey is way more like me than Peggy. But Abbey is way more the amazing young lady because of Peggy rather than me.

I’d love to end this here and celebrate all that Abbey has done. But I know she is not done. And because of that, I’d ask anyone that bothered to read this to stay tuned. The even more amazing thing about all of this? Abbey has a younger sister with all the talents and smarts as her big sis.

I can't help but ask myself - How did I get so lucky to have two daughters that make me proud - EVERY DAY!

The Problem with Celebrating Death

“We have a choice. We can choose the high road, or we can choose the low road. The high road maintains the integrity of life & mourns loss that comes with death. The low road celebrates death & ignores the consequences. I choose the high road. When we choose the high road, we choose the narrow path that leads to eternal life. If we choose the low road we are, fundamentally, no different than those we condemn.“

When I first heard the news that Osama Bin Laden had been killed, I was somewhat surprised that I felt a sense of shock and concern. While I think that this is a setback to the terrorists, it can easily steel their resolve to deliver another major blow to our safety and freedom. I am not the least bit unhappy that the man who committed so many atrocities and evil is gone, but I find it very hard to celebrate this. That may sound strange to some, so I’ll explain.

First, I remember seeing the news clips of some people around the world dancing in the streets after the twin towers came down. I admit I was quite angry that they could celebrate the deaths of thousands of innocent individuals. How could a person of supposed strong faith take joy in death? As I saw so many Americans celebrating the news of OBL’s death, I started to wonder what Muslims around the world must think of this. Are we reinforcing the perception that we are the evil big, bad Americans? I may be wrong, but I feel that this celebratory response to death (albeit not of an innocent individual) makes us no better than those we condemned 10 years ago.

Second, I think of what I would feel if I had to shoot and kill a person in self-defense. If I truly felt my life was in danger and I had no choice but to take a life to preserve mine, how would I respond? I can’t imagine for one second that I would celebrate that act. I might feel relief that I survived, and feel some sense of joy in being alive, but I cannot see myself rejoicing over killing another person, regardless of how evil that person is.

I tend to think that disorganized crime is usually a bigger threat than organized crime. Now that OBL is gone, what happens to Al Qaeda? Do you have radicals around the world trying to take control by creating hysteria through numerous random violent acts? Does AQ split up creating numerous groups that the US Intel organizations now have to track? Does a clear leader immerge, and use OBLs death as a cohesive force to increase support amongst some of the radicals who were drifting away? Too many questions and no clear answers, and thus my concern.

Lastly, the war on terror is not over. Sadly, I don't think it's a war that will ever end. But this is a small victory in an ongoing battle.  It's also a much needed moral boost to some pretty brave men and women who fight the battle every day. I will not take away their right or desire to celebrate this victory in whatever way they see fit. But as I sit here safe, warm, and well-rested in my comfortable home, I see no desire or need to celebrate death when I risk nothing.

I could not be happier that the US troops safely executed their mission without the loss of life. The US Navy Seals did what they had to do in a very difficult situation. I salute their service. They are the best in the world at what they do, and I am glad that they on our team.