In response to John Ringler’s Sunday letter, “Hold officials accountable”: My heart goes out to everyone involved in the deadly landslide in Oso. I have cried, I have prayed, I have donated. The one thing that bothers me is that our society always has to blame. Whenever one builds or buys a home/land in certain areas (hills — landslides, water — floods, etc.) there is a chance of a natural disaster!
As Mr. Ringler points out, “that same location has slid repeatedly for more than 60 years…” It would be the responsibility of the homeowners to research the area in which they are going to live, it is not up to the county. I guarantee you that all those who lived in “paradise,” and it is absolutely beautiful in the Oso area, would not have sold out to the county if they had been approached years earlier. They chose to live there, not thinking anything would ever happen (like teens thinking they are invincible) until one day Mother Nature let the earth slide.
Those who live there had to know the valley is known for slides; the times that I have driven through there you could see where former slides have occurred.
I listened to a woman on TV say, I just want my home and husband back, someone is going to pay and feel the pain that I have to. I do not know her name but there it was — the blame game. She chose to live there, now she needs to work through her grief and take the responsibility for a choice that she and her family made. I am not being cold-hearted, the truth hurts; no one to blame except the force of nature.
How many of you out there have earthquake insurance? In the case of a major earthquake, if you do not have this insurance, like the folks in Oso without landslide insurance, your home will not be covered because it will be an act of nature. Washington is a state known for volcanos, earthquakes, floods, landslides — as beautiful as the state is, it is not a matter of if a disaster will happen it is when! We can’t live in fear, but we can be responsible for ourselves and not pass the blame.
God bless all!
Karen Dickson
Stanwood
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