Today in church the community disaster specialist came to talk to the congregation about the impending lava flow. I live well away from the lava flow (it takes about 40 min for me to drive to the town the lava flow will hit) and for me the eruption will be an inconvenience. In two weeks the main road will be under lava. So I will have to take a gravel road to get into Hilo. Many of the people in the congregation were in a much worse situation. Their houses are under very real threat. And insurance doesn't cover lava.
I could feel how scared everyone was. Voices were sharp and questions had an urgency to them. Most of the congregation was gone because so many people had evacuated early. Many people thought that the town might be completely destroyed. I don't think it helped that we had spend the hour previous to the meeting studying Amos and Joel.
I couldn't believe it when the county guy told us "Well I guess we could bulldoze a pit for the lava to fill but that would be going against our culture. We believe in letting nature take its course. So we will let the flow go to the sea any way she wants."
WHAAAT! I wanted to yell. Really people? Did we not just spend the last 30 min talking about mass fires in town and destruction of homes and possible lives? You mean to tell me that we could avoid this with bulldozers? And we aren't?!
I looked around the room ready to grab my pitchfork and torch and go march on city hall with my fellow citizens. But they were all nodding. It was possibly the least contentious moment in the meeting. We were much more worked up over the possible brown outs. So I awkwardly slid my pitchfork back under my chair and kept my mouth shut.
I hope the county guy was wrong. I hope that we can't really fix the lava flow problem with bulldozers. Nature is all very well and good but, by golly, I contain it all the time. I have fire extinguishers in my house. I have soap for germs. I have filters on my water. Oh yeah, and I have a bulldozer in case a whole town could burn down.
But if the county guy is right, if the town could be saved by redirecting the lava. And the whole of Hawaii doesn't want to do it because of cultural ideals, then sitting in that room were some of the bravest most committed people I have ever met. People talk a lot about sacrificing for ideals. But it is something to actually see it in action. The people of Pahoa were willing to risk their town and lives for something they believe in. I don't get it. But that doesn't mean I can't be impressed by it.
I could feel how scared everyone was. Voices were sharp and questions had an urgency to them. Most of the congregation was gone because so many people had evacuated early. Many people thought that the town might be completely destroyed. I don't think it helped that we had spend the hour previous to the meeting studying Amos and Joel.
I couldn't believe it when the county guy told us "Well I guess we could bulldoze a pit for the lava to fill but that would be going against our culture. We believe in letting nature take its course. So we will let the flow go to the sea any way she wants."
WHAAAT! I wanted to yell. Really people? Did we not just spend the last 30 min talking about mass fires in town and destruction of homes and possible lives? You mean to tell me that we could avoid this with bulldozers? And we aren't?!
I looked around the room ready to grab my pitchfork and torch and go march on city hall with my fellow citizens. But they were all nodding. It was possibly the least contentious moment in the meeting. We were much more worked up over the possible brown outs. So I awkwardly slid my pitchfork back under my chair and kept my mouth shut.
I hope the county guy was wrong. I hope that we can't really fix the lava flow problem with bulldozers. Nature is all very well and good but, by golly, I contain it all the time. I have fire extinguishers in my house. I have soap for germs. I have filters on my water. Oh yeah, and I have a bulldozer in case a whole town could burn down.
But if the county guy is right, if the town could be saved by redirecting the lava. And the whole of Hawaii doesn't want to do it because of cultural ideals, then sitting in that room were some of the bravest most committed people I have ever met. People talk a lot about sacrificing for ideals. But it is something to actually see it in action. The people of Pahoa were willing to risk their town and lives for something they believe in. I don't get it. But that doesn't mean I can't be impressed by it.
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