Disasters have varying emotional effects

There's something particularly disturbing and surreal about seeing and hearing the horrific stories coming out of Maui, specifically Lahaina, which was essentially leveled by fire last week.

The disaster likely appalls and saddens anyone who learns of it, but it's worse when you have actually walked on those ash-strewn streets and eaten in restaurants that now are only memories. Kathleen and I were there in 2019 for a few days, staying a few miles north of Lahaina in a resort in Napili Bay. That area was spared the flames, according to online reports, a reminder that such fires can devastate one area while leaving nearby spots untouched. 

Last Saturday night, a theater in the Ukrainian city of Chernihiv was struck by a Cruise missile, killing seven and injuring nearly 150. One of the dead was a 6-year-old girl. It was as horrific as the Maui disaster in some ways, though it clearly is different since the attack was manmade and deliberate, whereas the Lahaina carnage was random and "natural."

Or was it? Maui officials are accusing the electrical company of poor management and failing to shut off power despite many warnings of fire danger. Of course, had the Hawaii Electric Company cut the power, there would have been howls of protest... and how can we ever truly know whether cutting power would have made any difference? 

Maui Emergency Management administrator Herman Andaya chose to not activate the island's emergency sirens in Lahaina, saying sounding the sirens would have sent people fleeing into fire. The sirens are considered "all-hazards," from tsunamis to wildfires. He has resigned, citing health reasons.

He had a tough call to make and basically froze. He may have a point about the system causing panic and even more death. How would we ever know? 

Some might argue that the Ukrainians who gathered last Saturday in the central square of the city. After all, the Russian military has shown no mercy and little humanity as they indiscriminately attack civilians and wage a terror campaign. Shouldn't everyone cower in basements or stick to small groups, minimizing damage from the rain of death from the skies? 

That argument holds little water, though, since humans simply can't maintain that level of fear for long. The odds are that one particular town square will not be targeted for a missile attack, after all. It's the same logic that sends people out to festivals and concerts and Labor Day celebrations that bring thousands together. The odds are that our festival or concert or event will not be targeted by a deranged killer armed with an AR-15. 

I feel a detached anger and sadness about the Chernihiv massacre, just the latest (and soon to be supplanted by another attack) in a series of war crimes in Ukraine. I morn for Sofia, the little girl whose life was snuffed out in an instant, and morn for her family. 

But Lahaina seems different. That was the focus on our activities while on Maui, the docks from which we took a boat to Lanai, the restaurants we enjoyed, and the giant banyan tree that anchored the historic town square. Yes, another town square. 

We sat under the ancient banyan tree and listened to a free concert one balmy afternoon, much as I imagine Ukrainians sitting at cafes or attending the theater when the missile struck. 

I read that at least a couple of the eight Republican candidates in their debate suggested that we might cut our support for Ukraine, perhaps in exchange for... something. Shame on them.

Even in our advanced state of civic decay, can't we all agree that America must defy the monsters, no matter how terrifying?