The two sides of this latest American disaster are amazing when taken separately, and that is difficult to do with such devastation. California is such a beautiful state and probably the most diverse and rich in natural offerings, including the ocean, mountains, rich agricultural regions, and vineyards. Still, when mother nature or man-made error occurs, it can also be a horrific state. Today, it is an Armageddon of fire being swept by hurricane-force winds that have no mercy and do not care about the demographics of the inhabitants of its next victim. Houses are burning like dry Christmas trees. They are rendered to ash and memories in moments.
People are one side of this tale. They came to this part of California for its beauty, and some neighborhoods are even affordable. Whether they were rich or poor, they had just moments to gather their families, pets, and a few possessions before they evacuated, knowing they were about to lose everything they owned. The images of people crying but happy to be alive. Most of us will never understand what these people are experiencing, but we know they are innocent victims with a difficult life ahead, putting their lives back together. That is the human side of the story, and these are the people we should never forget. You can also include the firefighters and first responders, for they are the heroes who ran toward the inferno to do and help wherever they can.
Then, we have to look at the flip side of the tale, and that is where the story gets ugly. Everywhere you look, and at every level of government, you will find complete incompetence in the preparedness to fight a situation like what is happening in Los Angeles and Pacific Palisades. You can start with the poor firefighter who jumps off his truck, hooks up his hose, and aims it at the blaze, and nothing happens. There is no water available to fight this hellish inferno. You can look at the awkward moment when Mayor Karen Bass (formerly Congresswoman Bass) was asked if she regretted cutting $17 million from the Fire Department’s budget—dead silence. The Mayor did not even try to defend her action. She simply stood in guilty silence.
By the way, LA sent millions of dollars worth of fire equipment to Ukraine.
Look at the scene as the camera moves up the street lined with destroyed homes, and in every mound of rubble was a gas pipe spouting flames. The authorities did not even think of turning off the gas to these neighborhoods. There was a video from 2022 when the media celebrated the first female head of the fire department in America’s second-largest city. The new chief detailed how her goal was to have the most diverse fire department in the country. She chose to dance in Pride parades instead of building a department we could all be proud of. Do we remember when a President was bragging about the most diverse administration, and we got the most inept and dysfunctional? It appears that lightning struck twice for the LA Fire Chief. She can celebrate DEI as her city burns.
The water situation in California is an article in itself. Before Trump left office in 2020, he signed a bill to funnel more water from Canada to California. Governor Gavin Newsome filed suit to stop the project; Newsome also tore down four dams to give the Indians more salmon fishing. The Indians have fish, and Californians have ash where they used to have homes. Political heads need to roll in California. Maybe that depends on whether enough high-rollers lose their homes. The victims of these fires deserve our prayers, but we also need to rain hell on the people responsible for the lack of readiness.
