Bits And Pieces

The Best Insurance

     Along with the wild surge of pride we all felt in our President, who finally seemed to be placing this country squarely on its two hind legs to stand up to Russia, there was this lump of fear in the throat that couldn't be swallowed.

     What would you and I do in case of an attack?  We seemed hopelessly unprepared to survive a bombing.  Should we all become hasty hoarders, grabbing and snatching at canned goods and bottled water--cleaning the shelves of transistor radios and kerosene stoves?  What should we do about the basement?  Can we consider it would be safe for a two weeks stay?  And what do women know about radiation anyway?

     "What is the sense of stocking my basement?" declared my neighbor.  "The kids are in two different schools.  Jim is at work or out of town, and me?  Well gosh I might be at a shopping center, downtown or anywhere but home."

     "I sure know one thing," said a friend.  "I don't want to be the one to survive all alone in our basement.  I'd go crazy wondering about everyone else and what had happened to them."

     Americans don't enjoy being alone.  They like to share the joys and sorrows and worries of neighbors, and that's what makes us a great country.  Maybe the logical thing to do is be prepared for any emergency but hope and pray it never happens.  Why not have community shelters?

     Certain places like schools, community buildings or churches have large dry basements and cold be equipped with supplies.  All in that particular area would be assigned to a particular shelter. 

      The shelters would be equipped with cots, food, water, medical and other needed supplies--each could be assigned a doctor.  Neighbors would be together which might be some consolation.

     Somehow I can't see this business of each person supplying his own shelter or trying to put one in the yard.  We're told we would probably have enough warning to get several blocks on foot to a shelter.  How many more lives might be saved if we knew what to do and avoided panic?

     It's this devilish uncertainty that can scare a person to death.  Given definite instructions and a time or two of practice and we'd all know where to turn in case of disaster.

     "But if there is a bomb I don't think anyone would survive, and I might as well go with everyone else."  My neighbor was as low as I felt.

     According to statistics which have just been released, there is a good chance to survive a blast and remain alive and well if you know what to do.  But a bunch of frantic mothers trying to find children to herd them into private basements could become quite a disaster and bring needless panic.

     We all hope and pray we will never have to use the practice or instructions we get in a real emergency, but how much better to be prepared.  There are a number of apartment buildings and homes minus basements.  What is to happen to those people?

     Sure, maybe I am suddenly pushing the panic button too hard, but maybe this scare will start the ball rolling for a really adequate civil defense program.  Maybe we'll pay attention and heed alerts and signals.  Learn thoroughly what emergency course to take if the need should arise.  It's not too late certainly if we all don't bury our heads in the sands of indifference and figure it can't happen here.

     Now is not the time to panic, of course, because a mind in panic can't figure anything out calmly.  Our plans for civilian defense are being sped up for all the cities, and I'm sure the wheels are grinding into second gear in the suburbs too.

     Every bulletin which temporarily stops a TV or radio program has all our attention--we all know this is serious.  The history of the last ten years seems to be the handling of one crisis after another.  This last Cuban affair the most dangerous.  But with that settled peacefully, don't let us for a moment relax and fall back into the pleasant sleep of "it couldn't happen here."

     I don't want to be a Calamity Jane or run around crying "Wolf."  But I'm sure everyone would rather spend for preparedness, such as outfitting public shelters, and never having to use them.  Sorta like buying insurance.  You hope you'll never need it, but it's there just in case.

     As the days go by, tensions we hope will die down too, but not our awareness of danger.  Let's continue to fill our churches as they were the Sunday following the fateful Presidential announcement.  Let us all remember to keep praying and prepare.  

Written  November 8, 1962.   The community in which we lived was about thirty miles west of Chicago--a definite target in any attack.  About a mile out of town was an army Nike base--one of many encircling Chicago.  I remember air raid drills in school--going orderly into the hallways and kneeling down and covering our heads...it was nice being ignorant then.