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Tuesday, March 19, 2024
March 19, 2024

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In Our View: Comfort Is Welcome

Grateful though we are for Obama's visit to condole, let's work to avoid another

The Columbian
Published:

President Obama traveled to Washington this week, but it wasn’t to trumpet the Affordable Care Act, or to talk about the minimum wage, or to highlight one of the state’s many innovative companies. No, Obama spent Tuesday afternoon in Snohomish County performing what must be one of a leader’s most difficult roles: Comforter in Chief.

One month after the tragic Oso mudslide, which killed at least 41 people and devastated a community, Obama got a helicopter’s-eye view of the site and met with survivors, first responders, and families of victims. In his own small way, on a day that reserved no space for partisan politics, the president helped to bind the region’s wounds.

That, increasingly, has become a vital aspect of leadership at all levels. In an age of pervasive media attention, public tragedy and public grieving can be broadcast across the world in a matter of moments. But so, too, can demonstrations of strength and resilience. So, too, can words of comfort. The role of the president has expanded well beyond that of formulating policy to that of formulating perspective.

In the long run, of course, policy is what will help the communities near Oso recover. Reports out of Snohomish County, which is northeast of Seattle, suggest that the federal response, particularly from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, has been swift and effective. So, too, has the assistance from private-public partnerships, as United Way of Snohomish County announced Monday that it was distributing an additional $400,000 to groups in the nearby towns of Arlington and Darrington. And Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., who is on a tour of the state to meet with small-business leaders, was joined by the head of the U.S. Small Business Administration, Maria Contreras-Sweet, when she met with leaders in the affected area.

Help has arrived in Oso and more is on the way, yet the tragic mudslide is a life-altering event for all residents of the area. That is what Obama came to witness on Tuesday. After arriving in Everett on Air Force One — a Boeing 747-200 that was built in the city — he toured the area of the mudslide on Marine One. As the Everett Herald reported: “A couple of bright-yellow excavators could be seen operating below, digging in the earth as part of the ongoing effort to recover the bodies of those who died. Amid the wreckage, an American flag flew at half staff.” The poignancy of the moment is difficult to comprehend.

“The President’s visit today underscores the country’s commitment to helping Oso and Darrington heal and recover,” said Congressman Rick Larsen, D-Wash., who grew up in Arlington. “… He will learn about the many challenges of rebuilding but also the incredible resilience of the people in these communities.”

Americans are, indeed, resilient. Humans are, by nature, resilient. But resilience alone cannot rebuild communities or prevent the next tragedy. The lingering result of Oso must be an effort to prevent other communities from being buried under an avalanche of mud. In February, the state Department of Natural Resources recommended to the Forest Practices Board that it develop a budget to acquire a landscape-radar mapping system for improved screening of unstable slopes. Media reports also have revealed that questions about the slope that gave way above Oso had previously been raised.

After Oso, the need to pay heed to such measures should be above question. After all, we would rather have the President of the United States visit Washington to discuss policy.

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