Katrina Stirs Survivalist Talk

A brief survey of the airwaves on AM radio reveals that many talk show hosts share a disgust at the lateness of the government's response to the damage caused in the wake of Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf Coast area.

Some hosts, including Michael Savage, believing that the government cannot be relied upon in case of emergency, have asked what their listeners themselves are doing to prepare to survive when disaster strikes.

While it is easy to say that this kind of attitude plays into what one writer has called the "paranoid tradition" of American politics, prudence would suggest that now would be a good time to stock up on essentials anyway, such as food, water, and hygiene items. After all, even the government asks that citizens be fully prepared to do without essential services for several days after a disaster.

As they say, forewarned is forearmed, and it pays to be prepared.