One man, one woman-one incident!

Tuesday – August 30, 2011

One man, one woman- one incident!

Yesterday, I wrote about the National Purpose. I brought into focus many events that took place on August 29 throughout our history and that had an affect on the nation’s National Purpose. From the known to the unknown, a man or a woman a boy or a girl, have all contributed to the National Purpose when called upon or when single events dictated their service.

The story of our National Purpose will never end. It might change in depth and meaning, but the diary of our history is destined to go on.

I was watching the National Geographic Channel production of George Bush’s interview about 9/11. I watched and I thought about my impressions and the visions I witnessed on that day. Like millions, I was mesmerized by the visions of the terror I saw.

That night, I wrote the President a letter. I am sure that some staffer read it and maybe the President did, too. However, I would not blame him if he didn’t. That is not important to today’s story, but the words I wrote are. I do not have a hard copy, because I sent it e-mail to the White House website, but the words I used reflected my thoughts about how some of us are placed at the doorsteps of history. I remember saying I don’t think you wanted this, but you are now making history – all I could say was God’s speed as you write a page in history.

As we approach the ten year mark of 9/11, I will remember the sights the sounds and the anguish of those that lost someone that day. I will also remember how the president reacted and acted in the following days to bring about what the National Purpose was on that day, that week that month and the subsequent years of the Bush Presidency.

True greatness should never be sought. It should be measured by how that greatness affected people and the common purpose of those that serve or those that volunteer selflessly in times of disaster and in time of need. This was brought into light, as the President visited the site of the fallen towers and addressed the nation and all those that were working to clear the site. He was able to find the words with bull horn in hand and an arm around a fireman who was just there at that moment to bring focus on the National Purpose.

Those sounds and sights are what some of us remember and what some choose to forget, because it wasn’t their guy standing on that heap of destruction getting all the attention.

As I watched the coverage of Hurricane Irene and heard the President and the left say you will have the money to rebuild. The right was following with spoken caution about where those funds would come from. The word is the Congress will deliver, but other budgets will have to suffer, as a consequence.

When I consider the ongoing cost of 9/11, the escalating cost of Hurricane Katrina and now Irene I cannot fault the people who demand that the government assists in the rebuilding of the hard hit areas with timely aid. President Bush said of 9/11, “this is how war will be fought in the 21st century.” While hurricanes hit land, FEMA is usually on the ground ready to give aid when its time. The aid is always at the discretion of Congress and always gets caught up in the politics that follow the funding requests.

We all have our opinions of how 9/11 occurred. We all have our opinions on how these super hurricanes come to be. Isn’t it time that we now have the same opinion on how the country pays for disasters when they occur? Shouldn’t it be part of the National Purpose to do so now?

In my opinion, there should be a super fund to provide the necessary money to fund the rebuilding after these disasters occur. This disaster relief fund should be proposed as other unnecessary budgets should be cut or eliminated. In addition, the principal of baseline budgeting should be eliminated and year to year fiscal budgeting be put in its place. The notion that we did it this way last year has to change. A super fund can be designed to keep the funds intact and to grow the funds from year to year. This super fund should be kept separate from any other governmental funding program. This super fund can provide the flexibility needed and it can be designed to take the politics out of rebuilding areas that are devastated by man or by nature.

When government takes on the role of giving aid it should do so in a responsible way, so that one man or one woman can provide the direction in giving aid when and where it’s needed the most. Congress can manage the money. They can make the budgetary recommendations from year to year and they can approve the money going in and going out. But Congress and the President and other politicians should not be allowed to play the politics when our National Purpose is to provide safety and to provide a quick path back to normalcy.

Gregory C. Dildilian
Founder and Executive Director
Pinecone Conservatives

A footnote: Shouldn’t we do as much as we can to promote the National Purpose with using the best possible methods and providing the best possible services? Sometimes all it takes is one man or one woman with a common purpose to do just that.