Heraldnet.com
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 9, 2009 3:57 pm
LocalNorthwestNation & WorldPoliticsSpecial ReportsPhotosColumnistsMultimedia 
Herald Editorial Board

Bob Bolerjack,
Opinion Editor
bolerjack@heraldnet.com

Carol MacPherson,
Editorial Writer
cmacpherson@
heraldnet.com


Allen Funk,
Herald Publisher
funk@heraldnet.com

Kim Heltne,
Assistant to the Publisher
heltne@heraldnet.com

Send letters to the editor by e-mail to letters@heraldnet.com, by fax to 425-339-3458 or mail to The Herald - Letters, P.O. Box 930, Everett, WA 98206.

 
WEEK IN REVIEW
Tuesday


Arlington brothers’ fight led to death, p...
Burn ban issued in Snohomish County
Woman found dead at Bothell house fire
Monday


Pearl Harbor's voices of the past
Taxes needed to close state's growing deficit?
Grant could help county's residents all be heal...
Sunday


Swine flu lingers, making traditional flu seaso...
Two vie to serve as Snohomish County prosecutor
Families get an early gift: free Christmas trees
Saturday


Gift charity draws Snohomish County families in...
Fears over commercial air service at Paine Fiel...
Donated safe gives Marysville museum a mystery
Friday


From behind bars, pal tells Colton Harris-Moore...
Commercial airlines would cause few problems at...
Fund set up to benefit children of couple kille...
Thursday


5 die of swine flu in Snohomish County
Red Cross honors acts of heroism, many by ordin...
Barista clothing rules delayed by County Council
Wednesday


Father gets 13 years in 6-year-old's fatal shoo...
‘One bad choice' blamed in death of 4 fri...
Reps. Larsen, Inslee split on Obama's plans for...
 

ADVERTISEMENT

Editorials   Print This Article  Email This Page  Subscribe Now! facebook digg reddit del.icio.us fark stumble

 
ADVERTISEMENT

 
 
HAVE YOUR SAY
Feel strongly about something? Share it with the community by writing a letter to the editor.
You’ll need to include your name, address and daytime phone number. (We’ll only publish your name and hometown.) We reserve the right to edit letters, but if you keep yours to 250 words or less, we won’t ask you to shorten it. If your letter is published, please wait 30 days before submitting another.
Send it to:
E-mail: letters@heraldnet.com
Mail: Letters section
The Herald
P.O. Box 930
Everett, WA 98206
Fax: 425-339-3458
Have a question about letters? Contact Carol MacPherson (cmacpherson@heraldnet.com or 425-339-3472).
 
Published: Monday, September 1, 2008

When disaster hits, we must be ready to help

When Hurricane Gustav makes landfall today along the Gulf Coast, sympathy for those in its path will be in generous supply here and across the country.

Empathy should also be a leading emotion here in Western Washington, where a natural disaster that could be just as devastating -- a major earthquake -- has long been predicted. Over the coming days, as we watch scenes of destruction that now appear inevitable, we would do well to remember that at any moment, without warning, it could be us, our families, our homes, our communities that have taken a blow and need help.

Whether by an innate sense of caring or an investment in good karma, each of us who can should be ready to pitch in this week. Some already are: More than a dozen Snohomish County Red Cross volunteers have already been dispatched to the Gulf Coast to prepare for the relief effort, and the local chapter is standing by to do more. In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina three years ago, 168 Snohomish County volunteers were sent to the affected Southern states.

A C-17 cargo plane from McChord Air Force Base near Tacoma has already returned after delivering response teams and cargo to New Orleans, and has been told to be ready for more hurricane flights.

For most of us, there is no better way to help than by making a disaster-relief donation to the American Red Cross (american.redcross.org, 1-800-HELPNOW) or the Red Cross' Snohomish County Chapter (www.snohomishcounty.redcross.org, 425-252-4103).

In a tough economy where prices are rising and jobs can be hard to find, such a gift might require more sacrifice than usual. And it's important to remember that challenges are growing here at home, like stocking food-bank shelves and helping low-income families with home-heating costs this winter. A donation to help the victims of Gustav should come in addition to other planned giving.

Watching the evacuations and other preparations for Gustav also serves as a reminder of the need for each of us to prepare for surviving a major earthquake. Every home, business and institution should have an earthquake plan, an earthquake kit and appropriate supplies on the premises. For details about what you need and how to plan, go to www.snohomishcounty.redcross.org, click on "Preparedness Links," and then click on "Earthquakes."

No matter how much we prepare, though, a major earthquake will leave many of us in desperate need of help. The rest of the nation, including those on the Gulf Coast who are all too familiar with natural disaster, will no doubt be there for us. Now is when we must be there for them.

1. Arlington brothers’ fight led to death, police say
2. Detectives consider slaps to father lethal
3. Woman found dead at Bothell house fire
4. Two teens hurt in collision near Granite Falls
5. Lottery win helps Lake Stevens convenience store owner pay bonuses
6. Everett man shot in groin; two men, one woman are arrested
7. I-5 car chase was result of driver's medical condition
8. CBS cancels ‘As the World Turns’
9. Jail inmates’ meal complaint omits a crucial fact
10. Locker dips toe in NFL pool
Enterprise Newspaper Snohomish County Business Journal
Zambian woman thanks students for their help
Food banks see rise in use
‘Making Spirits Bright’ in Edmonds
Wolfpack takes aim at state
Seahawks help students smile
95 and still volunteering
Sno-King joined by local TV king
Veterans back for Wildcats
Lynnwood seeks to plug $2 million budget gap
The Enterprise Online Newspaper


Always Free
Transmission Diagnostic

$95 Dryer Vent Cleaning!
$99 Whole House Duct Cleaning!

$2.99 Chili Dog
$3.99 Fish Burger

$2 OFF
at Box Office

Special Rebate Offers!
Plus Additional 30% OFF!

Buy 1 Get 1 FREE
Lube Oil Filter

Holiday Specials
up to 25% off!

Holiday Getaway
$99 dbl Occupancy

Nutcracker
Family Packs Available

20% Off Dinner
Up to $75 Value!

FREE 6 lb. Pad w/
40yd Carpet Purchase

25% off Bath & Groom
New Customers

15% Off
All Repairs!

20% Off Re-Upholstery
or Custom Furniture!

Oil - Snohomish County
Low Prices - Fill Now!

75% OFF
Many Items. Hurry!

Over 1 Million Lights
Lights of Christmas

$5 Off
Stylecut

Buy 1 Dinner Entree
Get 2nd 50% Off

$2 OFF
at Box Office
Everett Silvertips
TODAY'S TOP JOBS
 View All Top Jobs 
Top Cars
Top Homes

ADVERTISEMENT