National media seems to love insulting Southern states. Margaret Brennan, moderator of CBS News’ “Face the Nation,” is the most recent offender.
In a Sunday interview with Vice President JD Vance, Brennan took issue with President Donald Trump’s proposal to reimagine or dismantle the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), because of its horrendous response to Hurricane Helene in Western North Carolina, as well as its glacial movement in getting assistance to California wildfire victims.
The Brennan/Vance exchange was illuminating.
MARGARET BRENNAN: The president did say he wants to do something with an executive order in relation to federal emergency response. He said he may reform or eliminate FEMA.
Instead of sending emergency responders, he may start to send a percentage of money to states to take care of themselves. But you know FEMA has specialized expertise that some of these states just don't have…
VICE PRESIDENT J.D. VANCE: Oh, Margaret, I…
MARGARET BRENNAN: … in their arsenal.
VICE PRESIDENT J.D. VANCE: I wish that they…
MARGARET BRENNAN: And how will states who are – who are lower-income states, the Mississippis, the Kentuckys, the Alabamas, be able to do this for themselves without federal help?
VICE PRESIDENT J.D. VANCE: Well, the president, to be clear, is not saying we're going to leave anybody behind.
He's saying that, in the way that we administer these resources, some of which is coming from the federal level, some of which is coming from the state level, we've got to get the bureaucrats out of the way and get the aid to the people who need it most.
WATCH:
Brennan’s knee-jerk reaction is not only incredibly elitist but shows that she and/or her interns did not bother to do their research.
During Hurricane Katrina, while the legacy media was reporting 24-7 about New Orleans, Mississippi was also underwater, and very few were paying attention. My cousin traveled from the Midwest to rescue his mom from Biloxi, Miss., as the rising floodwater surrounded her home. FEMA? They were too focused on the New Orleans Superdome. During Biloxi’s recovery, they even sued FEMA because the agency would not release monies to cover the costs of rebuilding.
As one historian, Jennifer Trivedi, documenting Biloxi’s recovery, wrote in U.S. News & World Report:
People told me about co-workers who sheltered them during extended waits for FEMA trailers. Local groups like the Biloxi chapter of the NAACP and Coastal Women for Change helped people obtain supplies, child care and computer literacy training to apply for disaster aid. Small groups of volunteers from across the U.S. cleaned up debris.
Local efforts do not guarantee rapid recovery, but they are critical to people's personal and shared recoveries and well-being.
Local organizations are also the closest boots on the ground in a disaster, with institutional knowledge on how to address a crisis. As Trivedi further noted: "Local organizations often more clearly understand and meet local needs. … And the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency provided ‘Katrina cottages’ that better matched local architecture and were more hurricane-resistant than FEMA trailers."
It's the same in Alabama, which must respond to what is sometimes a trifecta of natural disasters: hurricanes, ice storms and tornadoes. If this “lower-income state,” as Brennan calls us, had to depend on FEMA, we would no longer be on the map.
With 23-million acres of forest and even more farmland, Alabama’s emergency response is among the best in the nation. The folks in Alabama know how to take care of themselves, their land, and more importantly, each other.
As “Only in Alabama” says: “Unfortunately, Alabama has seen its fair share of natural disasters. Thankfully, here in Alabama we are known for helping each other during difficult times like this. It's amazing how something so horrific can bring everyone together.”
It’s a way of life, and one where the federal government simply gets in the way – just look at the response in Western North Carolina.
Alabamians come together at both the local and state level to assist in response and especially in recovery. For example, consider that Alabama’s Emergency Management Agency provides ample information for citizens and businesses on how to prepare for disasters, and how neighbors can band together. Likewise, the Alabama Fire College prepares first responders on how to handle our most common and uncommon disasters.
So, the concept that Southern states would be hobbled if FEMA did not step in after a natural disaster is pure fiction.
“Alabama has approximately 23 million acres of forest, which is about 69 percent of the state’s area, and more than 93 percent is privately owned,” the Alabama Forestry Commission says. We are blessed with dams and waterways, as well as rainfall that helps limit drought conditions. Our forestry commission exists for a reason: not just to ward off disaster, but to mitigate it. Legacy media like Brennan and various elected officials could learn some lessons.
Alabama State Rep. Ernie Yarbrough (R-Trinity), had something to say about CBS/Brennan’s insult to our beloved state:
“We saw good and well how FEMA was ‘equipped’ to handle responses in North Carolina, and we really don't need people who have proven themselves to be incompetent at their jobs lecturing states on how to do their job. We actually can handle our business."
He continued, “We've seen time and time again … that local people, state emergency response, American citizens have jumped into action, and been far more effective, far more efficient, and done the job better than FEMA could.”
When Yarbrough ran for elected office in 2022, his campaign slogan was “make Alabama local again.” He stands by this, especially when it comes to emergency response.
“I love the idea that Trump is floating of either cutting back or getting rid of FEMA, and giving that aid to the states, so that the states can formulate their own disaster response and utilize, you know, either a scaled back FEMA or a FEMA gone altogether.”
Yarbrough also got to the heart of the disconnect between coastal elites and the heartland:
Embedded in her [Brennan’s] insult is the idea that what America is all about is centralized, federalized programs. The reality is: it's un-American, and the focus is on the grassroots freedoms and liberties and responsibilities of the people to handle their business. Government is meant to be supplemental, not primary.
In good times and disaster, it’s about citizen helping citizen. This trumps government assistance, which will always be imperfect.
Jennifer Oliver O'Connell, As the Girl Turns, is an investigative journalist, author, opinion analyst, and contributor to 1819 News, Redstate, and other publications. Jennifer writes on Politics and Pop Culture, with occasional detours into Reinvention, Yoga, and Food. You can read more about Jennifer's world at her As the Girl Turns website. You can also follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Telegram.
The views and opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the policy or position of 1819 News. To comment, please send an email with your name and contact information to Commentary@1819news.com.
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