Monday, September 6, 2010

Remember past while preparing for future

Many Florida Keys residents and visitors know of the 1935 Labor Day Hurricane that caused the deaths of hundreds of people in the Upper Keys, and destroyed the railroad. The Category 5 hurricane was unexpected, and is still one of the two most severe hurricanes on record. The Red Cross was on the scene quickly. Sending responders from Miami and across the nation, Red Cross workers assisted more than 3,500 families as the storm made additional landfalls.

Many who lived through the deadly hurricane as children still reside in the Keys, and some will be noting the 75th anniversary at the somber annual ceremony at the Hurricane Monument in Islamorada. Members of the Red Cross will also be there, and at several other events, providing information about the first aid and disaster recovery work.

In addition to feeding and clothing the families affected, the Red Cross at the time worked closely with the Veterans Administration and other federal agencies, including the agency that would become FEMA. Taking into account the Great Depression and President Franklin D. Roosevelt's Works Progress Administration, an unusual decision to construct houses for the families was determined to be the best way to meet the need. The WPA also built a school, to be used also as a Red Cross shelter -- now the Islamorada library. Most of the 27 Red Cross houses are still residences, and some are still occupied by the original families. These concrete block houses are elevated, with thick walls, and have provided shelter from many storms, including deadly Hurricane Donna in 1960 and Hurricane Betsy in 1965.

As we reach the busiest part of hurricane season, Red Cross workers are trained and ready to respond here, and throughout the nation, just as in years past. You can be ready, too. Get prepared today with hurricane supplies and a plan for your family. Call or log on for more information about how you can join the Red Cross and be ready -- http://www.floridakeysredcross.org.

J.B. Hunt

Chapter advancement officer

American Red Cross

Have corrupt politics eroded our patriotism?

"My only regret is that I have but one life to give for my country," "Give me liberty or give me death," "Uncommon valor was a common virtue," "Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country." Have these sentiments been so eroded through the years by corrupted politicians and a school curriculum that finds favor and correctness in instructing its students to feel repugnant and adverse towards their country that we have reached a point where we will settle for any old type of reckless and incompetent governance from the individuals that we put into office, simply because we want them to be our "monkey"?

Recovering from treatment to decrease some of the pain from wounds incurred in combat, I ambled along the Minute Man Trail in Lexington, Mass., where I came across a monument commemorating the patriots who were killed during the Battle of Lexington. The inscription on this stone read: "They gave all that was dear, for their country."

Does anyone really feel that way anymore? Do any of the politicians running for office in Monroe County feel that way?

We will suffocate in our own filth, strangulating any decency that could come out of our upcoming elections, if we don't connect with that part of ourselves that knows the difference between right and wrong. Acting courageously and intelligently will bring about the long sought after result desired by all; a responsible, clean and effective government.

There is not much wiggle room left in this county; the forces of darkness have had their way with us. Unless the sunshine dispels the remnants of past mistakes, the future will be dim.

It is time for us to rally together, delving within, to do what is right for ourselves, our children and our country.

John Donnelly

Key Largo