With the record-breaking amount of rain we have been receiving all weekend and the news of Hurricane Ike, I thought of the driving question of our new unit: "What happens to the people in charge in a fearful time?" Although these current weather conditions are by no means a disastrous time to the extent of the events that we will be studying in this upcoming unit, the people of these regions still look to "the people in charge" for guidance and direction. After an reading article about Hurricane Ike relief efforts , I learned that President Bush is planning to travel to Houston on Tuesday to offer sympathy to families that have been devastated by the Hurricane and "lend support to victims." Also quoted in the article were several victims of the storm who evacuated in fear of the weather to come, and also others who feared for the well-being of family members they have residing in Texas because they have not been able to contact them. In addition, the Governor of Texas and the mayor of Houston along with the mayors of the individual towns outside of Houston and on the coast that were effected, are working hard to put their emergency plans into action. They have instated curfews in Houston and are ordering people to evacuate until power can be restored to certain areas. The leaders of this region are displaying their authority over the people that reside there by declaring a plan of action. Many people have not listened to those in authority though, and have tried to ride the storm out. Those who listened to the plan and evacuated were glad they did. Eight deaths have resulted from the storm.
An interesting parallel on a much small scale to Hurricane Ike is the flooding in the Chicagoland area due to the severe rainstorms this past weekend. In an article discussing these rainstorms, it was stated that "Chicago authorities asked Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich to issue a disaster declaration after rainfall Saturday." It seems to be a common theme in times of fear to look to the leaders in charge to seek guidance and to ask for them to take control. It will be interesting to see how our driving question is answered during this unit, and what the common themes seem to be throughout history.
1 comment:
I definitely agree with this post in the fact that in fear, people look for leaders to get them through. On my own street I can see the impact of authority. This weekend the creek surrounding my neighborhood overflowed, and no one is able to leave. The road commisioner on my street has done a great job of helping everyone get what they need and advising no one to try and drive through the water. Though like some Texans, not everyone listened. As a result, many cars are stalled or stuck. With just this small problem, my neighbors have come together. I hope that with the tragedy that has happened in Texas, the people are able to do the same.
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