There comes a point when the size and scope of a distaster meets some social responsibility threshold to where the story merits consistant and prolonged national attention – more than the 2-3 minute segments between other stories. We’ve been on the Gulf oil spill for over a week. And that makes sense. The Nashville Flood is estimated to cost over $1 Billion in losses. It deserves the same attention. It devastated lives. It ruined homes and businesses. People are living in shelters with nothing to return to once the waters recede.
Photo by SeeMidTN.com
I am not asking for comparisons to other natural disasters as justification for media coverage. Katrina, Atlanta ’09, Iowa ’08 – all bad.
Here’s the thing, I’ve learned more through Facebook, Twitter and links from friends pointing to Middle TN sources than I have from national media outlets. I get that local media is more relevant but things this big need large-scale awareness. Awareness outside the affected area.
Here’s one big reason why the media needs to stay on the Nashville Flood – it brings in donations. It brings in volunteer efforts. Media = nation-sized support. It’s just that simple. When Katrina hit (a much larger disaster as far as loss of life) our family donated. We all donated. The whole country donated and are still donating. Same with the recent ‘quakes outside this country. There was national attention. There was national concern. And the nation responded.
Pride and a sense of community should have us standing tall and fixing things on our own but it shouldn’t keep us from asking for help. We can use it. So how do we get the media to recognize what’s going on in Nashville and surrounding areas and keep on this developing story?
Human interest? Cost of the recovery? Loss of life? Seeing national icons underwater? The amazing lives saved and acts of heroism? What’s it going to take?
At the least, media coverage and a national response gives us the comfort that we are all united. I’ve read a lot of blogs and facebook posts from locals lately and am impressed with how the community is responding for itself. But at the same time – folks just want to know that they’re story’s been heard.
We moved here because of the wonderful spirit of both the community and its people. All those that have been affected will rebound but they could use some help.
Below is a short video posted of what it’s been like in the low-lying areas of my town, Franklin.
Walking down Main Street with smells of BBQ and kettle corn filling the air. Great day to live in Franklin, TN.
We grabbed lunch under a shade tree with a couple of iced teas to keep us cool. Then browsed all the great local vendors lining the streets. (we may have found a new porch swing from one)
Just taking in the sites and people watching. They say 100K people will hit the festival – wouldn’t you know it, we run into friends of friends we’d just met a week back at a vineyard concert they performed at – for great music check out Art Four Sale.
Bought some simple plastic lenses for my Nikon DLSR. Yeah – seems counter-productive but going retro can be fun. The lenses are actual called Diana F+ lenses – made of plastic, and I got an adapter so it connects directly to the f-mount on the Nikon. Very simple. Whole thing was maybe $40. So simple that you have to put the camera in full manual for it to even snap shots as it doesn’t recognize that a lens is attached.
Great thing about using a DSLR is that since it’s all manual, you don’t know what settings you’ll need so you can just keep trying and no film wasted. You have to test different ISO/shutter combinations. And to focus – there are only 3 settings on this little plastic lens, 1-2M, 2-4M and infinity.
Why? Cause I can. And a few of the pics have a fun color effect.
Check out the rest on flickr. I’m still figuring out the settings so these are all learning pics.
The snow outside a week ago combined with Olympic spirit provided inspiration. (…and I was about to swiffer the hardwood floor and looking for an easier way using Ben.)
Here’s a video of Ben’s 3 Olympic sports he entered: bobsled, ski jump and the skeleton.
(No children were hurt during the filming of this video)
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