Gov. Mary Fallin, R-Okla., has made a vow all elected executives must make in the face of unspeakable tragedy.
Her state will rebuild the community smashed to pieces by Mother Nature’s immense wrath.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/weather/2013/05/21/oklahoma-tornadoes/2344923/
Somehow, I have to believe Fallin will make good on her pledge.
This is the kind of event that makes governors – not to mention presidents – earn their salary. In Fallin’s case, it’s $128,000 annually. She will deserve every penny if she does her job correctly, and I’m quite sure she will.
The massive twister that tore Moore, Okla., apart on Monday is being called one of Planet Earth’s epic tragedies. The death toll is 24 at the moment and it likely will climb once the debris starts getting cleared out. There well might be some miracles to occur, with survivors climbing out of the ruins. Let us hope that is the case.
But as these disasters keep mounting, I cannot help but be moved by the presence of mind these government chief execs show in times of extreme heartache. Most of the time these events are caused by forces beyond our control. Occasionally, human beings bring intense suffering.
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie continues to serve as a champion for his constituents still recovering from the October 2012 superstorm called Sandy that ravaged his state. Texas Gov. Rick Perry stood tall when the fertilizer plant exploded in West. Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick became the face and voice of his state as law enforcement authorities hunted down those responsible for the Boston Marathon bombing on April 15. I was proud as well of the strength that President Bush demonstrated while standing on the debris pile at Ground Zero the week of 9/11 when – with his arm draped around the New York City firefighter – told a crowd of first responders that “the people who knocked these buildings down will hear all of us soon.”
These events transcend partisan politics and somehow make the political bickering between the parties seem even more petty than they at times can become.
Gov. Fallin didn’t run for office expecting this kind of tragedy. Indeed, no elected official anticipates ever having to rally his or her constituents when they endure the grief that has struck the good folks of Moore.
However, this is why they serve. Good luck, Gov. Fallin, as you navigate your way through this horrifying crisis.