I took the opportunity to teach my junior high civics class and my High School U.S. Constitution class some lessons from the recent Hurricanes Helene and Milton.
The overriding theme during our discussion was “How to Think Like an American” in a crisis. I used posts from X (formerly Twitter) as a springboard for our conversation. I used the role of social media (a method they could relate to) as one way to be connected and informed during a crisis.
Some adults complained that the traffic was too great, they couldn’t get their thirteen animals to safety, or they had nowhere to go.
First, Think and Then Do
First, we don’t sit around waiting for someone to help us. As Americans, we “Think and Do.” One participant complained that all of this evacuation stuff was too much of an effort. Other participants on “X” stressed, encouraged, and even admonished her to leave NOW.
The best encouragement was an American man who said he had acreage, parking, and RV facilities, too. He could accommodate small and large animals and even offered to have food on hand. Another man posted that he had acreage for those who had nowhere to go. These Americans offered genuine help to those willing to do a mandatory evacuation.
Second, Have a Plan
Second, we must have the basics to endure a crisis. We need an escape plan. You would store some gas in the garage for your car. You would have the cages for the small animals on hand so you could get them out of harm’s way. If cages are not in your budget, you can find used ones at garage sales. You would talk to friends and neighbors about the best locations to go in an impending crisis.
Americans Take Personal Responsibility Seriously
I taught my students that we need to think like Americans. We don’t sit around and wait “for someone else to do it.” We all do what we can do. We also share with others in times of need. That’s an essential part of being American. We must learn to be responsible and think like Americans.
This is Common Sense Civics and Citizenship.🇺🇸