May 19, 2008 09:43 am
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President Bush attempted to console the survivors of the May 10 tornado by scheduling a visit to the area. But it just didn’t work out.
The manager of a major hotel on South Range Line Road told me last week that the Secret Service was looking for 100 rooms on the Sunday night after the tornado struck. The plan was for Bush to arrive in Joplin that night, and then get up the next day to tour tornado-ravaged Newton County and Picher, Okla. But the president’s schedule would not allow for that, or the details could not be worked out on such short notice.
A visit by the president would have helped. Despite what you might think about his politics or the nightmare left by Hurricane Katrina along the Gulf Coast, Bush has great empathy for those who have been pummeled by nature. I saw it firsthand when Bush visited Pierce City after a May 4, 2003, tornado battered the town’s historic business district.
Bush came to the town during its darkest hour and lifted spirits in a way that only a president can. He gave a moving speech about the resilience of the American people. After he spoke, he shook hands, kissed babies and dispensed hugs to people who looked as if they needed one. He stood with them. He promised that the federal government would not abandon them. He made good on that promise.
You could see it again two weeks ago when Bush visited Greensburg, Kan., another town leveled by a killer tornado. He paid tribute to the town’s latest crop of high-school graduates. His presence there was a powerful statement that life goes on. There is no doubt a presidential visit would have helped the suffering families among us.
Presidential visit or not, I am certain of one thing: The people who live in this Four-State neighborhood are a tough lot. I have seen it time and time again. They will overcome this, too.
I recently attended a gathering where someone said he felt such pity for the people of Picher, knowing the history of what that town has been through. It’s true. Picher was abused and left with a staggering environmental mess by mining companies. The children were poisoned by lead. Long-term exposure to heavy metals took its toll.
Then, the federal government decided to get involved. It wasted $100 million trying to clean the place up but only managed to further devalue what was left of the town. Now, a buyout is under way, which is what should have been done three decades ago. The buyout will eventually get the job done, but it has not been Oklahoma’s finest hour.
Having reported about Picher for nearly 30 years, I have had the pleasure of making friends with many of the residents there. It’s tough to watch grown men tell you with tears in their eyes how much they love their town. They know that their town’s days are numbered, but Picher’s end was not supposed to be like this. It’s like being kicked in the gut when you’re already down.
Still, I feel confident that these descendants of hard-rock miners will overcome this tragedy, too. They don’t need our pity. They deserve our respect.
Picher has made the ultimate sacrifice for this country. Its residents, many of whom died of suffocating lung diseases, toiled underground to dig out the lead that helped win two world wars.
If ever there was a town in need of a helping hand from a president, it’s Picher. Even though he could not make it, it should console the residents of this area that he was thinking about them, and that he tried.
If you have news about something happening on Range Line Road, dial (417) 623-3480, ext. 7250; or send an e-mail to wkennedy@joplinglobe.com; or send a fax to Wally Kennedy at (417) 623-8598.
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