We
watched the Hurricane Irene news coverage. As the storm
moved towards the U.S., those of us in its path wondered
if we would be safe and dry and have electricity.
Maybe
you checked your homeowners insurance policy to see if you
were covered. We knew we had hurricane coverage. We relaxed.
This was the re-definition of what is called a "false
sense of security”.
It
was too late anyway because the fine print already had us
in its grips.
If
you want to feel secure when a raging storm is just around
the corner, I would advise not reading such a document.
If you do read your policy you would not be able to understand
a large portion of it and what you did understand would
not provide any emotional support.
Our
policy would have covered the damage from a miniature Niagara
Falls in our basement if we had flood insurance. However,
we do not live in a flood plain and therefore are not eligible
for it.
As
we wrote in the note announcing a one week delay in our
return from the summer hiatus “the insurance company says
that water from the sky is "ground water" once
it hits the earth, and therefore the damage to our building
isn't covered. Thankfully, the BC Internet server
is located at a very secure building in another location.”
If
hurricane Irene had blown the roof off our building, the
rain that would come in would not be “ground water”.
That
was one of the disappointments of our summer hiatus.
There
are others that include the following:
1
– The U.S. is now 41st in the world in infant
morality.
2
- US 'campaigns to avoid' Palestinian
statehood vote.
3
- Tripoli Files Show CIA
Working With Libya.
4
- Obama to drop
smog initiative.
Meanwhile,
a CNN
opinion poll shows many Americans want to kick out all
members of congress. Only 41 percent would return their
representative to office.
If
every one of the 535 members of congress were replaced it
would not change anything because the same corrupt system
would be in place.
On
the very local level, voting can be worth it. In a recent
election in my township our school budget was approved.
It made it possible for needed books to be purchased among
other things. The election was only for the school budget.
You would think that because of all the controversy over
education and teachers the turnout would not be poor. However,
only 1.2 percent of those eligible to vote did vote, and
the good guys won.
One
final item. A BC reader reminded me I never reported
back about what happened when I was called to jury duty
and was not trying to get out of it. I reported on the
assigned day and was told the case had been settled the
night before.
BlackCommentator.com Publisher and Chief Technical Officer Peter Gamble, is the
recipient of a national Sigma Delta Chi award for public
service in journalism and numerous other honors for excellence
in reporting and investigative reporting. The “beats” he
covered as a broadcast journalist ranged from activism in
the streets to the State Department and White House. The
lure of a personal computer on his desk inspired a career
change in 1985 and an immersion into what he sees as the
future of communications. The acquisition of computer programming
skills made it possible for Peter to achieve an important
level of self-reliance in the technology of the 21st century
and to develop BlackCommentator.com. Click here to contact Peter.
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