Keeping an eye on Mississippi during Isaac

“May the winds of destruction and the waves of sorrow forever remind us of the opportunity and hope we have found.”

Those are the words engraved on the Hurricane Katrina monument that sits at Pascagoula’s Beach Park. I penned those words soon after that fateful August day now seven years ago this very week.

The sentiment is once again on my mind as we face another storm coming ashore along our Gulf Coast.

City and county officials, emergency management staffs, first responders and state agencies are all engaged and ready to take on what is to come once the clouds part and the waters recede. Lessons have been learned and plans are in place to ease the pain and hardship Isaac will leave in its wake. No, perfection will never be achieved in coordinating for such natural disasters but these men and women will invest long hours and perhaps even be called on to place themselves in harms way to protect one in their community and they will do so willingly, at times above the interest of their own families. Give them some credence and listen when they advise. Adhere to their warnings and be safe.

It will be incumbent on every individual in the aftermath to once again hitch up their own britches and own our plight with an eye to our neighbor’s. We, Mississippians, are a resilient, strong people and I am certain we will show the world our resolve and compassion yet again in the days ahead.

We may not receive the attention from some in the national media. To them, we may simply be a land mass situated between other more recognizable locales, but that is fine with us. We do not need their approval or acceptance. We have Mississippi in our soul and we are proud of our homes, families and communities. We will overcome as we always have, whether we are in the spotlight or not.

Politics will be on display in the days ahead, both in how the Presidential candidates respond to this storm and in their respective party conventions. We here at Yall Politics will keep a watchful eye on both and pass along what’s relevant as we move forward.

But for now, our thoughts and prayers are with those in Isaac’s path. May we again see the best in our fellow man even in the midst of this trial. May we embrace the opportunity to show our resolve and be one Mississippi. And may we share the hope of tomorrow with those hurting today.