Observations©

By Donald S. Conkey

Date:  October 25, 2007 - # 943 – Georgia’s Drought (818)

Will the current drought bring out the best or the worst in our citizenry? Only time will tell.  But we already see finger pointing and accusations taking place so my bet would be that it will likely bring out our worst.

Droughts are natural disasters, like floods, tornados, tsunamis, hurricanes, volcanoes, and brush fires. And severe droughts have historically been the most destructive because they usually cover much larger areas. And as fear creeps into the lives of those affected panic often follows. Today’s drought decisions by elected leaders, often panic driven, reflect a lack of preparation by past leaders. The decisions being made today regarding this drought highlights the worst aspects of a republican form of government – a lack of consistent long-term leadership. Leaders often nitpick over small issues while ignoring long-term issues.

Man can see droughts develop but seldom can man, without divine intervention, do anything about them once they arrive as is evident today when the only response is to take the Corps to court.

This lack of adequate long term drought preparation reflects badly on Georgia’s water planning leadership going back for decades. This water crisis is similar to the current traffic crisis where elected leaders pander to the ‘not-in-my-back-yard’ crowds that often kill worthwhile projects. And, as with both the water and traffic crises’, everyone pays the price.

Atlanta’s leaders in the 1950s correctly saw that a major airport would help Atlanta become the regional transportation hub for the southeast. Their visions succeeded beyond their wildest dreams. The airport, supported by Atlanta’s climate, aided by newly developed air-conditioning, and federally built recreational lakes attracted worldwide businesses. These businesses, with their jobs, brought millions to Atlanta. Those early leaders however failed to see that the city and state needed more than the Corps built lakes to sustain the water needs for long-term uninterrupted growth. And they did not foresee that snail darters and mussels would soon take precedence over people as the environmental movement took root and shoved common sense aside.

Ironically Atlanta’s growth today is the direct result of another drought, the nationwide drought of the 1930s. That drought, along with the depression, swept Franklin Roosevelt into office in 1932. FDR’s policies changed America, including Georgia.

FDR’s agenda brought electricity to the rural south by building hydro-electric dams along its major rivers and by 1950 most of Georgia’s major rivers had electricity producing dams built on them. And with the dams came recreation lakes.

Roosevelt’s projects created jobs for an economy suffering a 35 percent unemployment rate. It also initiated efforts to better control America’s abundant natural resources – for the benefit and pleasure of mankind. It worked beautifully. But excessive control was given to the federal government as witnessed today in the current “mussels’ versus people” court battle.

Few leaders can foresee and plan for the future, but some, like former Commission Chairman Latham do. Latham saw the need for more reservoirs to supplement the county’s growth and took action.

Environmentists often imply droughts are brought on by America’s environmental policies, or lack thereof, but find it difficult to provide reasonable answers on how the other natural disasters that have plagued America in recent years originate. And far too often reason is not a part of the environmentist’s agenda, especially regarding Georgia’s ‘mussels’ versus people’ crisis.

While it is too late to begin building reservoirs for the current drought there is something that can and ought to be considered. Our religious leaders can ask their God to help end this crisis by leading their flocks in daily prayers for rain and supplementing their prayers with a monthly fast, with the cost of meals saved donated to help those adversely affected by the drought.  

This drought affects people of all faiths, and, so-far-as-I-know, the commandments found in the Bible are accepted by Christians, Jews, and Muslims alike, including that one consistently broken: keeping their Sabbath day holy. In spite of the efforts to remove the laws of God from America’s Christian foundation, God’s laws, as Jefferson declared, are the cornerstone of America’s liberties and I think God would take note if the Bible-belt of America would unite and pray daily for rain, fast monthly for rain, and keep their Sabbaths – Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays – holy. Just maybe a united effort by all people, regardless of religious belief, God would step in and end this drought.

Americans consistently say they believe in God. Now is the time to apply that belief. Rain, lots of it, is the only cure for this drought and man can not make it rain, only the God of Heaven can make it rain enough to refill our lakes.

If someone has a better plan we need to hear it now. United prayer and fasting will work and bring out the best in all of us. It’s now time for our elected and religious leaders to lead and solve this crisis.