Two things I'll never understand

I've written here before how, for one, I'll never understand how people in Pakistan or Afghanistan or any other country, for that matter, could or would blow up--or even attempt to blow up and kill, maim and harm--their fellow citizens, no matter what they see as the cause or issue.

Yet not only does it happen but it happens again and again.

I can't see how they think they're somehow progressing any such cause.  It seems true insanity to me.

And then to do it to people, too, who practice the same faith as you, possibly--Muslim--but just because they're a different sect.

That takes some twisted, sick beliefs right there.

And here, today is the other thing I can't possibly fathom, far closer to home and more immediate:

In Joplin, Looters Prowl For What Twister Didn't Take

I heard this on the way in to work this morning on KCUR/NPR, perhaps you did, too.  (Thanks, again, Frank Morris!)

The people of Joplin, Missouri have been put through nearly unimaginable circumstances, what with having suffered an F5 tornado, so many people being killed, homes destroyed, workplaces leveled, cars mangled and who knows what all yet some people have the chutzpah to go through, afterward and try to steal things from the rubble.

No, sorry.

I can't imagine how anyone could possibly be so low or destitute or unfeeling or selfish and/or whatever that would take to even have that option occur to you.

But that's me. 

Great local media coverage on Joplin's nightmare

I have to say, I'm pretty proud and happy right now with the local media covering the Joplin tornado and damage, for what it's worth.

They showed the front page of The Star last evening on MSNBC's "Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell".  Then, yesterday, the national feed of NPR aired local sage Frank Morris of KCUR, telling of the situation there.  It's always great to hear Mr. Morris--or some other local reporter, of course--on the national feed.
It's wonderful to have the local news stations actually reporting on hard news, too, rather than fluff stories no one cares about, frankly.  KCTV-5's Brad Stephens seemed to beat everyone down there with his on site reporting, if what I saw last evening was representative of the coverage.

Then check this out, yesterday the Hollywood Reporter put this up on their site telling of the national coverage the story will get:

TV News Anchors Rushes to Tornado-Ravaged Joplin, Mo.

I hope Reading, Kan. doesn't get lost in this story and coverage.

It's clearly a horrible situation down there and the news started doing a great service covering the story virtually immediately, telling people what happened, of course, but more than that, telling that going there to help would be a bad idea unless you were part of an organized group, etc.  Then, additionally, the fund-raising and blood drives have been big, plentiful and seemingly successful, all three.

It's heartening to see us all come together like this in time of such a horrific tragedy.

And now for something completely different

I was listening, as I do every morning, to KCUR 89.3 FM radio, they were speaking with the EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson about the area.

Frank Morris was talking to her specifically about Brush Creek and how raw sewage goes right into it.

What?

Are we a Third-World country or what?

Why is there raw sewage in Brush Creek in Kansas City, Missouri--the middle of the city--in 2009?

How was this ever started?

When was it begun?

Why hasn't this been discontinued since the Clean Waters Act of 1970, 1971 or after the amendments of 1977?

Why do we have raw sewage in the middle of this city still, to this date? It makes no sense. It's irresponsible. It's inexcusable. It's unhealthy, for goodness sake.

Let's do try to get some Federal "green" money, to get this situation taken care of.

Besides having a place that's one we can be proud of, it's the right, decent and clean thing for us to do. It's good for us and for freshwater plants and animals, too.

I can hardly believe we have to have this conversation.