The Biased Observer©
Americana
Relating to our Great Nation
Pioneer Spirit
Katrina, Rita, Wanda, Alpha, Beta…the hits just keep on coming. I'm not talking about damage from these hurricanes. I'm talking about the rapid fire blame game that has followed them and the sense of helplessness that seems to pervade the world of emergency response. I am not without compassion to those in the path of destruction. I have lived in Florida and California and had my share of hurricanes and earthquakes. I returned some years ago to my native Oklahoma and once again am back in the land of 100 mile an hour straight winds and tornados that come on the scene with notice given in minutes not days. Nature's fury is nothing to take lightly.
I also had the honor to be a part of one of the world's most proactive organizations, the United States Marine Corps, for over 20 years. In that time I attended, taught, supervised, or evaluated hundreds of classes on the topic of First Aid. The first responder available to give aid for most injuries and casualties is the individual victim himself. Granted this does not work well when cardiopulmonary resuscitation is needed, but injured or wounded individuals frequently apply direct pressure to their own wounds; inject, ingest, or inhale medication; and clean and treat infections before a trained responder can be on the scene. In emergencies, we are expected to be active participants in our own survival.
What we are witnessing in this country is the loss of the pioneer spirit. American pioneers embraced the spirit of the overcomer. These people endured pain, hardship, injury, and all sorts of loss but continued to push forward--to survive and eventually thrive. We were these people, but now we seem to have surrendered our unconquerable spirit without a fight. Now we expect someone else to take care of us. We now view life as unfair if we must go without electricity for two or three days. Those in power are mounting personal persecution campaigns against us because we are not instantly returned to our comfort zones.
Should every level of our government be prepared to respond to emergencies? Should we learn from each emergency and be better prepared next time? Yes and Yes. Should we rely totally upon government to take care of us in times of emergency? Absolutely not. We need to reclaim the pioneer spirit. This spirit mixed with this country's compassionate nature and continuous improvement in our response agencies will make us stronger than we have ever been before. If you have ever pondered an answer to President Kennedy's most classic question, an answer available to all of us is to rekindle the pioneer spirit.
Books by this Author
Copyright 2005
Tom Spence