Hawaii News Digest, 21 July 2017, 05:20 hrs, UTC, Post #15345.
Source:
Accessed on 21 July 2017, 05:20 hrs, UTC.
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Comment:
The State of Hawaii is forming a preparedness plan in the event that North Korea launches an intercontinental ballistic missile at Hawaii. The plan will include school students drilling for evacuation, similar to an “active shooter scenario.” An ICBM launched from North Korea would reach Hawaii in just 12 to 15 minutes.
Hawaii Emergency Management administrator Vern Miyagi has more:
“We do not want to cause any undue stress for the public; however, we have a responsibility to plan for all hazards. We don’t know the exact capabilities or intentions of the North Korean government, but there is clear evidence that it is trying to develop ballistic missiles that could conceivably one day reach our state. Therefore, we cannot wait to begin our public information campaign to ensure that Hawaii residents will know what to do if such an event occurs,” Vern Miyagi, Hawaii Emergency Management Agency administrator, said in a release.
“The plan doesn’t mean a return to “duck and cover” from the 1950s, but it will include school students drilling for evacuation, similar to “active shooter” scenarios now, officials said.”
Public service announcements will be aired that advise “get inside, stay inside, and stay tuned,” according to the state.
“The tourism industry is not at all happy with the arrival of the campaign, which it fears could spook tourists.”
Opinion:
Undoubtedly, such a plan would “scare” tourists. Would you rather we bury our heads in the proverbial sand? Unfortunately, we live in the “real world” where many parts of our country are well within range of ICBMs from Russia and China. This scenario reminds me of the bad old days during the “cold war” rhetoric of the 1950s and 1960s. We managed to survive that era, and we will find a way to adjust to the new challenges presented by the xenophobic North Korean regime. We’ve had some success with our anti-missile programs–those programs should be continued in the interest of public safety. Perhaps we should return to the days of MAD (Mutually Assured Destruction).
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Russ Roberts
Hawaii News Digest
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