A Worthy, Though Sad Distraction From The Nonsense I've Been Presenting

Well, that's not totally true, but what I mean is, I want to speak a bit on the Maui situation.  

Beginning with our honeymoon, the fetching Mrs. Marshal Art and I have visited Hawaii five times.  Our honeymoon began on the Big Island, which to those who don't know is actually called "Hawaii".  We actually spent Easter there and had dinner in an open air restaurant.  A light rain shower began once we entered, but had finished by the time dinner was over.  It was a lovely dinner.  The only other memory I have of that island is a cool pair of eel skin boots I foolishly declined to buy.  They were awesome and only around $165 which even at the time didn't seem outlandish.  I wish I was wearing those boots every time I kick myself in the ass for not buying them.  

From there we finished our honeymoon on Maui, and that became our destination for the subsequent fours trips we took over the years.  Though I've wanted to visit the other islands, we never did get the chance.  Our trips weren't so long that island hopping made sense, and, at least in my mind, I didn't want to go and not visit Maui...though I think I could have dealt with spending a week on Kauai.  It's supposed to be a paradise. 

We've stayed in the swanky resort hotels of Wailea the first two visits, which I loved.  What we don't love is spending so much of our limited funds on accommodations in which we won't spend most of any given day.  Thus, we opted for renting condos.  Our last was on the water in a town called Maalaea, which is between Kihei and Lahaina.  One couldn't swim off the beach right outside our building, but every night we'd see the sea turtles coming in and feeding there.  They were huge. 

I really love Maui.  There are three places we've visited almost every time we've gone there.  Hana (the road to which is the epitome of "it's the journey, not the destination"), Mama's Fish House...which is in the north shore town of Paia...I may be wrong, but I think we hit this place on every visit, and the historic whaling village of Lahaina.  

We definitely hit this town every visit.  What a great place!  There was a Bubba-Gump's on the water.  The shops and galleries were all wonderful.  There's a huge banyan tree there which was planted in 1873 and shades about 3/4 of an acre. 

That tree suffered in the wild fire which destroyed this wonderful town, but it is said it may be salvaged.  I hope so.   I hope the town can be rebuilt to its former glory.  

The wife and I were devastated to hear the news of the preventable tragedy.  From all reports, it's another case of the type seen so perennially in California, wherein forest management is criminally negligent.  There's foreign grasses which have spread which are part of the reason the fire did as well.  The winds from a hurricane pushed the flames very quickly.  People were said to be running into the sea for protection.  Videos taken by other people fleeing in their cars showed just how difficult it was to escape it.  Rt. 30 was congested, to say the least, but it's the main road through and out of town. 

The state boasts one of the most state of the art early warning systems for events such as this.  No one heard sirens because those in charge of these things totally dropped the ball.  There was a story about water to quench the fire being withheld unreasonably.  The military installations on Oahu has all manner of means by which aid could be rendered, and as one person who's been there for lesser incidents has said, there's little change the high winds would have stopped the military personnel from providing aid, and from what I've heard, there is still not much from them at this point (I could be wrong on that point).

What I know for sure is that with every mention of this tragedy, with a continually climbing death toll which is around 100 at this point, I am equal parts sadness and anger.  Video of Lahaina presents a view of someplace unrecognizable to me.  I've had a strong desire to live there since my first visit, though it's a rather expensive place to live, especially the cost of food and gasoline.  But the state is run by morons, just as is Illinois, California, New Jersey and other blue states.  

By all accounts, this was a tragedy waiting to happen.  According to a story in AmericanThinker, they've had issues of arsonists starting fires for several years.  How this one began remains...for me at least...to be seen.  How it raged is inexcusable for asshole politicians who claim to have great concern and compassion for the environment.  Some of these bastards immediately went the "climate change" route, and I'd love to slap the crap out them for daring to shit that crap out of their mouths, those exploitative sons-of-bitches.

And the people of the area.  God have mercy on them.  They will be needlessly suffering because of government failure for a very long time.  The state, that is the people, will lose financially as its tourism will be impeded for who knows how long.  

If only they had a Ron DeSantis, who has demonstrated how real servants of the people respond to natural disasters.  If only they had a Donald Trump who knows how to marshal both the public and private sectors to get things done quickly.  

But they have Democrats.  I've no confidence whatsoever and its maddening.  This is what comes from voting for Democrats.

I hope everyone reading this will send a few shekels to help out.  And pray.  Please pray for them.