Are We Prepared?
By Jon Alvarez (08/18/03)
What's next? Many of us just survived the Blackout of 2003, an event that left us with many of the same feelings of shock we experienced after 9-11 and the dread preceding Y2K. It was another reminder of how vulnerable our free and open society truly is.
We will now be forced to deal with and strengthen our aging energy infrastructure. Authorities have assured us that, despite our initial fears, this was not terrorist-related. Nonetheless, the feelings we experienced were as traumatic. Now may be the time to ask not only what is next, but also whether or not we are prepared for the next such crisis.
Many people have already forgotten the anxiety that gripped our country prior to Y2K. That was probably the first instance since the Cold War where Americans felt genuinely threatened. The Blackout of 2003 served as a reminder of how dependent upon energy and technology we all are in living our day-to-day lives. What if the blackout had been more severe? How would we cope? That is something we need to ask ourselves.
How prepared are we to deal with such calamities? Can we even imagine life without electricity? As crazy as that may sound, we must realize that things are different today. Anything can happen. The Cold War generation lived under fear of a nuclear attack. Like Y2K, this fear never materialized. The events of 9-11 made Americans realize that bad things can happen within our country. The threat of nuclear war has raised its ugly head once again with the recent news that North Korea is a nuclear power and quite possibly Iran as well. Whether it is terrorists with nuclear weapons or a failing national power infrastructure, we could wake up one day and be without electricity and a whole lot more.
The Blackout of 2003 had a crippling effect on America for one day. Like 9-11, we saw good will rise above mankind's basic instincts towards selfishness and self-preservation. Were this to have been a more permanent crisis, how long would that goodwill last? What about many of the social services that we all rely upon? What impact would such an extended crisis have on the ability of the police to maintain order? How would we obtain food? These are some basic questions of which we should all be asking ourselves. Ultimately, it is up to each one of us to be responsible for our own well being should such an occurrence take place. Like 9-11, we should learn something from this latest catastrophe.
Y2K laid the groundwork for people to realize that life, as we know it could radically change in an instant. No one was prepared for the catastrophe we experienced on 9-11. Likewise, the Blackout of 2003 caught many in this country completely off guard. How can our country continue its current pattern of growth and urban sprawl without adequately examining the resources needed to sustain such growth? Our country is at odds with itself over how to best handle this. How long could you survive were everything to shut down?
We should all have a personal plan of action to ensure our own survival should disaster once again visit itself upon this country. It's time to take a personal inventory, to determine what we are doing today to better prepare for tomorrow. Whether it is short-term or long-term, the point of the matter is that we should all be prepared. How many in America now own generators to provide electricity at home? What about a stockpile of supplies when the grocery stores are closed? Weapons to protect your family in case of anarchy? These are just some of the things considered necessary in order to survive in the uncertain world of tomorrow. Will you be prepared?
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