There are many things that bring back fond memories of my mother, Laura. Like the current Hurricane that bears her name, she was a force of nature. Laura was born on a cattle ranch in Helena Montana and grew up with 11 siblings. At fifteen she was working as a nanny to help the family and after her high school graduation she moved to Pocatello and entered nursing school. Much to our surprise and perhaps hers we celebrated her birthday on October 17, a birth certificate found after her passing proved she was born on October 18 and a year later than her version of the story. It is my belief she needed to be older to be allowed into the nursing program and live in the dormitories, so she may have fudged a bit. Regardless, Laura and Ed raised 5 boys while she worked the night shift at Bannock Memorial Hospital. During Laura’s 40 year nursing career she delivered dozens of babies, provided care and comfort to thousands of patients and baked cinnamon rolls and chocolate cake for the world. It was a popular plan when the a new triage center at the hospital emergency room was named in her honor. Dr. Call, a lifelong friend, said, “she had a lot of compassion.” We could certainly benefit from a selfless leadership today, someone who reaches out a helping hand or offers words of encouragement. Let’s all focus on emulating the 5 foot one inch dynamo that was Laura Elizabeth Hudson Mooney.
Hurricane Laura is now upgraded to a category 4 and is projected to create an “unsurvivable” storm surge. Imagine a 13 foot wall of water that could penetrate up to 30 miles inland, along with fierce winds and up to 15 inches of rain. Laura is one of the fastest-intensifying storms in recorded history in the Gulf of Mexico. It is not really up to debate, rising ocean temperatures driven by climate change are leading to more intense and destructive hurricanes and other storms. The waters in the gulf this year are described as “bathtub-level hot”. Laura is headed to an area that comprises 45% of U S petroleum refining capacity and 17% of our oil production and many of our fellow citizens. Fossil fuels are a major force in greenhouse gas creation. It defies any logic that our current Government wants to authorize 1.6 million acres of pristine land in Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for oil and gas exploration. We do have alternative energy sources readily available which could slow global warming. The Arctic is warming twice as fast as the rest of our planet and the rising ocean water levels will take a severe toll.
The wildfires in California are not the result of a lack of forest raking as suggested by our Fearless Leader but are directly related to climate change. If you can’t think of any other reason to support a new administration, this issue alone should be sufficient. Let’s protect our planet for our children and grandchildren.
Remember the predictions that warmer weather would be the end of COVID-19, it is safe to reopen the schools, the economy will bounce right back, ingesting bleach might work, we can trust Putin, Antifa is a threat, QAnon likes me….. His sister Maryanne says “…The change of stories. The lack of preparation. The lying. Holy s—-“
In memory of Laura, please cast your vote for a just and compassionate future for our country. Mike