The Moore, Okla., tornado was 600 times more powerful than the atomic bomb dropped by the bomber Enola Gay on Hiroshima, effectively ending WWII. Whether a tragedy is man-made or an act of God, President Obama has always responded promptly and correctly. He did so when a terrible tornado hit Joplin Mo., and when hurricane Sandy devastated New York and New Jersey. The president stood with the victims after the tragic massacre of children in Newtown, Conn., the Boston Marathon bombing and one of the worst tornados in history, which literally flattened Moore.
I’m sure you’ll remember Hurricane Katrina and the dismal performance by FEMA and our government. Compare that to the way Obama handles disasters. You can’t. There’s no comparison. President Obama is without question the greatest president in times of crisis during my lifetime.
Sen. Jim Inhofe and Sen. Tom Coburn of Oklahoma, in a case of plain old political bigotry, voted to minimize aid to hurricane Sandy victims along the East Coast. It was disgusting. When questioned about that, Inhofe had the gall to say you couldn’t compare hurricane Sandy to the Oklahoma tornado. For the record, the death toll from Sandy reached 125 and 24 tragically died in the Moore tornado. If the victims are in a democratic state Inhofe diminishes the human suffering. His concern for human life seems limited to those who may vote for him.
Coburn is all over the map. He first said he wouldn’t vote for aid for his own constituents unless spending cuts were made to offset the costs. What would he cut? Food assistance for the poor? Education, again? Cuts in children’s healthcare? What Coburn wants to do is cut assistance to people in need all over the country to pay for helping his constituents in Oklahoma. He would stand the needy on their heads and shake them down until every last cent falls out of the pockets of their worn out trousers and every last crumb is gleaned from their breadbox. That’s just plain cold-blooded.
He’ll take advantage of the plight of his own people in order to demonstrate his cut-throat conservative credentials to the Tea Party. Coburn doesn’t make sense because, as he pointed out, there is still an $11.6 billion disaster fund available — a fund he voted against.
He won’t propose shutting down unneeded foreign military bases or raising taxes on the most wealthy to help his people. He could ask Oklahoma oil to pay for rebuilding. They can afford it. Most of all, he needs to ask God to restore his soul.
With Obama political posturing has no place in times of crisis. It doesn’t matter if the governor is Republican or if both senators are Republican. It doesn’t matter if these senators along with most Oklahoma members of Congress are constantly attacking him. What matters to President Obama is helping the victims.
He doesn’t care who gets the credit. He is the president of all the people of the United States, red and yellow, black and white, young or old, whether living in rural America or large cities. He cares about us all, liberal, conservative or moderate. In times of crisis it is ever so obvious.
When disasters strike our country normal folks put politics aside, as did conservative New Jersey Gov. Christie and President Obama. The Tea Party hammered Christie for working with President Obama. I am not a Christie admirer by any means, but he did what any normal person should do during a crisis. The Tea Party, Inhofe and Coburn aren’t normal.
In Newtown we heard stories of teachers literally placing themselves in the line of fire to shield their students; one paid the ultimate price. Greater love has no other. In Oklahoma we saw the same thing as teachers placed themselves on top of their students to protect them from flying debris. These acts of courage were spontaneous. Our teachers’ love for their students was demonstratively evident. We are blessed to have such dedicated public employees. The next time any fool tells me teachers are overpaid, I’ll tell them to go straight to hell.
This is the first of many viral Internet rumors I hope to dispel at the end of my columns when relevant. Rumor — “The Department of Homeland Security has created a standing army of government youths, know as FEMA Corps.” This is a distortion meant to scare people. FEMA Corps. is a part of AmeriCorps., a federal community service program. FEMA Corps. prepares for, and responds to disasters, its members are 18-24 and they carry no weapons. It pays to Fact Check.
Glen McAdoo, a Churchill County resident, can be contacted at glynn@phonewave.net