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Amazing before and after photos.http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/world/us-tornado-before-and-afters/story-e6frf7lf-1226062639658
Joplin is about 3 hours from me… tornados ripped through here yesterday again…Had one touch down 5 miles fromt he bas where I work which happens to be a mile or so from my house.We are putting together a benefit concert on June 3rd for the relief efforts. My pastor has been down twice assigned to work in the morgue.I am seriously tempted to move to like North Dakota where you never hear of anything other than cold. I have lived in the midwest the majority of my life and been through quite a few tornados. They never get easier and you never really get used to them when they do hit. Keep the people of this tragedy in your thoughts and prayers.
Here Scout, you can see this:http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1391075/Joplin-tornado-photos-devastation-232-missing.htmlDoes anyone else know where else in the world besides the U.S. tornadoes strike on a regular basis? They seem to strike at the central U.S. plains quite a bit, and into the upper Midwest as well (I imagine they hit North Dakota once in a while as well). But I never seem to hear about them hitting Europe or other parts of the world. I'm guessing I just haven't been paying attention?
There are about 60 per year in Germany, they said on the radio today, but they also said that they tend to be very short duration and generally weak. I also remember reading somewhere that tornadoes are common in the obi desert but that the US is the country that has the most tornadoes of anywhere in the world. There is something about the land and weather patterns in the US that makes it easier for tornadoes to form than anywhere else in the world.BTW, I had to call family yesterday to make sure everyone was OK. I come from Oklahoma and the storms were bad around Tulsa but my dad said everything seemed to go north or south but nothing hit near him. My prayers are with the folks in Joplin, it was a nice town and I have driven through there on 44 several times.
Is giving Federal aid to these people an un-Conservative view? I was basically called a RINO because I say gov't aid to those who suffer natural disasters is acceptable. Someone said it is not the government's job to provide aid to fellow Americans. I didn't agree with that and asked “so are you saying these people are on their own, too bad?” (haven't got an answer yet)What say ye?
I do not know the “official” political position on this matter. I would suspect that it is the responsibility of people's insurers to pay these families in the long term; it is the responsibility of individuals to maintain their insurance properly.In the short term, before payout is supposed to begin, these people need to be helped. In such cases, I do not think there is any organization which has the resources or responsibility as the government. So yes, it seems that the government ought to be the first line of help after disasters occur. I think that helping people after catastrophes is in keeping with conservative principles. The extent of the help is probably an issue that conservatives and liberals disagree on.
I tend to think that immediate aid is not only acceptable but one of those things government is supposed to do. Where I draw the line is when the government gets into the business of housing and supporting people for months or even years such as what they did after Katrina and I think also after a couple of hurricanes in Florida. I can see help lasting for 1 maybe three months, but a year later? I also don't think the government should underwrite insurance policies such as they do with Federal flood insurance. The reason private companies wont insure houses built in some places is because the risk of flood is so great they are almost a guaranteed loss.
