Why is the news always bad?

Okay, this is (hopefully) the first of two posts for today. I have been remiss in updating this particular blog, largely because I don't have much time to write about subjects in sufficient detail (I've been a bit hurried, with minimal internet time, in recent days). This post will deal with two pieces of bad news--one largely of local intrest (since I am a Floridian), and the other is of global interest. First, there is much to say about the London bombing (which I found out about when I got to work today). Second, I would like to speak about Hurricane Dennis (repeating a refrain from the early days of this blog--during last year's disastrous hurricane season).

In London, several bombs simultaneously exploded, and a radical Islamic group affiliated with Al Qaeda has claimed responsibility for it. As far as the news for it, it has been forthcoming from various news sources, and little more needs to be said about it from that aspect. There are really two legitimate lessons that can be drawn from this from a Christian, Western perspective. One, while this event should be taken as the "Tower of Siloam" type of disaster and not as a sign of impending doom for the planet, it is clear that in this mortal life time and chance happen to us all. Nothing in the physical life is guaranteed and certain, except for death. I will leave the specious prophetic speculations to others (who will no doubt be willing to enter the fray). I would like to focus mainly on the second lesson--the civilized world must stand together against the barbaric bullies who would seek to prey on our fear so that they may commit evil without fear of earthly justice. After the initial solidarity of September 11th faded, most of the Western world was hostile to America's desire for a reasonably secure existence. The rest of the Western world (minus Britain and a few other willing nations) was willing to let America fight itself. However, the entire Free World is under potential threat from these third world bullies. Wherever a nation is threatened by these Luddites, let America stand by its side in defense of freedom and liberty. Humanly speaking, a free and democratic society where no one rules without accountability is the best we can hope for. Let us all stand in defense of that, for when one people are threatened with the loss of freedom and safety, all of us are in danger. Fear knows no boundaries, and neither does freedom or human dignity. Okay, enough of that.

Second, Hurricane Dennis is spinning around in the Caribbean south of Cuba, and is expected to make landfall along the Florida-Alabama border (where Hurricane Ivan hit last year). Lots of insurance companies have temporarily stopped issuing home insurance to Florida residents. We'll see where this storm goes, but it's expected to make landfall late this weekend as a category 3 hurricane of about 120 miles per hour. I don't want to rant about this for too long, but I really hate hurricane season. Hurricanes are uniquely horrible as far as natural disasters go in that you dread their coming for several days, and then if they hit you have to deal with their aftermath for a long time. For months one has their eyes glued to maps of the Middle Atlantic, Gulf, and the Caribbean, wondering whether a storm will strengthen, what its track will be, when one's power will return, etc. Okay, let's just say that last year was a bad year, and this year isn't looking so good either.