Give survivors relief by silence

How do we, the public, consider the survivors of the Oso landslide? I am speaking of the ones who were saved by the heroic efforts of the rescuers and the ones who survived by circumstance because they weren’t home or within the reach of the slide. Should we, the public, give them a period of silence? A time to mourn their lost loved ones, their friends, their neighbors. A time to heal. Or should we remind them daily of their loss? To present to them another story, another account of their loss, to renew the memory of the horrible experiences they have suffered? When does it end, this recounting and reviewing? Do any of the survivors, their families and friends want to say “enough is enough”? They lived through the the tragic painful events. Do they really need 37 days of front page stories to be reminded of their loss?

I read David Orders’ letter and found it to be a tasteless and thoughtless complaint. However, for the sake of the survivors, there should be some relief by silence, a period of quiet and stillness for those who have had enough. Should we, the public, not give them a break?

Tom VanGelder

Monroe