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The view from fly-over countryIf you have lived here in fly-over country for long, you know that what happens here does not get much national attention. The Greensburg tornado is no exception. The national media outlets hit it hard for a couple of days and followed President Bush on his visit, but Greensburg has faded from the national consciousness. If 1,800 people had been displaced and 10 killed in New York or Los Angeles there would already be a made-for-TV movie. That is all right. Here in fly-over country we take care of ourselves and our own. The reaction to the Greensburg tragedy is vivid evidence of the strong-willed and resilient residents of tornado alley. Greensburg residents did not wait for emergency personnel or government checks to start cleaning up their city. As soon as the storm was over neighbors were helping neighbors sort through the rubble. People did not just sit around waiting for help, they went to work. When help did arrive there was no mad rush to claim as much of the free stuff as they could carry. People took what they needed making sure there was enough to go around. No one wanted to take too much or more than their share. A gift from the Livestock Marketing Association (LMA) was used to buy fencing material for the farmers and ranchers in the path of the storm. When the trailer loaded with nails, fence posts, and barbed wire arrived no official needed to be in charge of the distribution. The May 4 storm did give the nation a geography lesson about Kansas. In various reports after the storm the reporters placed Greensburg anywhere from north of Lawrence to straight south of Hays. Whenever someone asked where Greensburg is all you had to say was it is the home of the hand dug well. That usually triggered a memory for most people. A large company in Kansas City received a call from a client wanting to know if it was safe to come in for her scheduled meeting. People know where Greensburg, Kan., is now. They know a lot more about the folks that live here in fly-over country and our ability to respond when tragedy hits. Doug Rich can be reached by phone at 785-749-5304 or by e-mail at richhpj@aol.com. B 4 5/21/07 4 Star NE Date: 5/16/07
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