Will Our Uncle Be There When We Need Him?

I'm one of the fortunate people in this world who has had over the years several "safety nets" below me. I have a family in which every member is a support for the other. Since childhood my parents have created an environment that was supportive to the point of encouraging risk, although my mother drew the line with motorcycles and sky diving. As far as financial, professional, educational, and life-crises went, I have been blessed with the safety net of parents whose support, both physical and emotional, was always there. IN adulthood my safety net was supplemented by adult siblings with whom I have a mutual relationship that says, "Whatever it is you need, I'm there." My in-laws, too, have demonstrated the same level of security. It may sound funny coming from a middle-aged husband, father, professional male to describe this safety net, but I try not to take it for granted. I fully admit that much of the good I have in my life I did nothing to get. It is grace in the truest sense of the word. I am the undeserving recipient of unconditional love from people who are really good at giving it.

One disturbing conversation I had with my parents back in 2003 revealed that, despite the fact that they lived close to the geographic center of the continental US and far away from ANY viable terrorist target, they felt threatened and even frightened in the wake of 9/11. It was difficult for me to understand, and our conversations admittedly were not very productive. Afterward I realized that the fear generated by 9/11 went much deeper. My parent's generation, children at the time of Pearl Harbor, have built a nation in which they thought 9/11 was impossible. Add into that the color coded alert system that keeps reminding them of their vulnerability (or at least it did before the elections) and you have people who have never know a threat in their lives sitting in one of the most secure places in the world feeling a constant underlying sense of insecurity and fear. The safety net of American military strength that they believed could keep out all would-be attackers no longer exists. Decision making, especially voting, is then strongly affected by this.

A question I heard asked on the news yesterday was directed to a government official (didn't catch which one). The person was explaining that this is an unprecedented disaster and the logistics of response took time to work out. This disaster was predicted ahead of time, "war gamed" a year ago, and involves loss of life, likely on a large scale. It took a week for the resources available (military, helicopters, airboats, etc....) to be deployed. We have government officials coming close to physical contortions to avoid identifying where the breakdowns occurred. Reflecting on my own expectations of government, I am probably one of many Americans who have always had an underlying assumption of a governmental safety net that would be there if something really catastrophic happened, i.e. the government (local, state, national) would be there to step in. I can't help but wonder if much of the frustration and anger being expressed by those affected by the storm, but especially those NOT affected by the storm watching from the comfort of our homes, might have as a component of it the realization that the safety net isn't really there. I'm not debating whether or not it should be there or not, just making the point that for thousands of people it was not there. Only time will tell what affects this my have on the national psyche. Will the way local governments plan be affected by this, knowing that the feds may not be there? Will this affect where we locate? How we vote? For many of the victims of the hurricane such a discussion is a real luxury. Where they live, work, and travel involves much less freedom of choice than some of the rest of us on the outside looking in. But for those who do have choices and aren't trapped by necessity, what will we do with the revelations of the past weeks? Will Uncle Sam be there when we need him?