Monday, January 15, 2018

Mayhem In Maui---And American Politics

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At 8:10 Saturday morning Hawaiians received a jolting Emergency Alert on social and other media:

"BALLISTIC MISSILE THREAT INBOUND TO HAWAII. SEEK IMMEDIATE SHELTER. THIS IS NOT A DRILL."

38 minutes later, alerts went out explaining it was a mistake---human error.

Guess whose fault it really was?


But first. Today is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. My favorite quotes from MLK include, "In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends."
And, "The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy."
And this: "The time to always right to do what is right."

The Los Angles Times broke the story here on the mainland, reporting that "For nearly 40 nail-biting minutes, so were millions of other Hawaii residents and vacationers. Video emerged of adults removing manhole covers and lowering children into sewers in a desperate attempt to escape a ballistic missile hurtling their way. People broke into tears, told relatives they loved them and scattered back to their homes and hotels, unsure of what to do next."

Governor David Ige called the episode a "nightmare," while officials said they would suspend the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency's internal testing system until new protocols are in place to prevent this from happening again.

Ige said, "Today is a day most of us will never forget...A terrifying day when our worst nightmares appeared to become a reality. A day where we frantically grabbed what we could, tried to figure out how and where to shelter and protect ourselves...said our 'I love yous' and 'prayed for peace'."

38 minutes later people were notified all was clear--- it was a mistake.

Human error.

The worker who sent out the erroneous alarm didn't realize his error until he received the alert on his own cell phone.

The LA Times explains, "The system didn't ask whether a staffer wishes to send an actual alert, at which point he or she answers yes or no. On Saturday the employee then made a second mistake by clicking yes."

The Emergency Management people say from now on two people, not one will be required to verify and send.

Wow. Problem solved.

Well, not really.

Within minutes, the far Left progressives began their own Twitter missile attack. And theirs is real:

Jamie Lee Curtis @jamieleecurtis
This Hawaii missile scare is on YOU Mr. Trump. The real FEAR that mothers & fathers & children felt is on YOU. It is on YOUR ARROGANCE. HUBRIS. NARCISSISM. RAGE. EGO. IMMATURITY and your UNSTABLE IDIOCY. Shame on your hate filled self. YOU DID THIS!
12:24 PM - Jan 13, 2018

Jim Carrey @JimCarrey

I woke up this morning in Hawaii with ten minutes to live. It was a false alarm, but a real psychic warning. If we allow this one-man Gomorrah and his corrupt Republican congress to continue alienating the world we are headed for suffering beyond all imagination.
1:01 PM - Jan 13, 2018

MSNBC @MSNBC

Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard: “Our leaders have failed us. Donald Trump is taking too long. He's not taking this threat seriously ... This is literally life and death that is at stake.”
11:19 AM - Jan 13, 2018

Jeff Bezos' Washington Post seized the moment of mayhem and went for the political throat of the president.

Jeff Bezos' Washington Post also launched missiles at the president, charging that he has rarely assumed the traditional leadership role of the presidency, has always taken a hostile attitude toward those who oppose him but has also been apathetic toward stepping up to inform, guide and assure the American public.

Presumably, they mean like Obama did---informing America our traditional ways and values must be abandoned, guiding us toward a socialistic state and assuring us that America is no more exceptional than any other nation.

The Post makes a lengthy case against President Trump, blaming him for the false alarm this weekend, concluding that his only message to Hawaii is "You're on your own."

Michael Goodwin, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist with the New York Post is consistently fair in his reporting on the president.

This week he strongly encouraged the president to be vigilant in his words and in whom he trusts, reminding him of the words of President Harry S, Truman: "If you want a friend in Washington, get a dog."

Agreed

However, there are those outside of Washington who are not canine, but Christian, also standing with the president---not because he is a model of Christian virtue---he isn't, but because he is willing to listen to evangelicals and has kept his promises to us during his first year in office.

Dr. James Dobson is encouraging all Christians to set aside a day---any day---and fast and pray for President Trump.

I agree. That is both biblical and timely.

Be Informed. Be Vigilant. Be Discerning. Be Prayerful.