Tornado Sirens Part III: We’re Smarter Than Our Viewers!

A local t.v. station is keeping up the pressure to implement very expensive tornado sirens around the Hub.  They've reached the point where they are so desperate to prove they're right on the topic that they've started a petition.  First off, I don't know what high school civics class people missed, but a petition means nothing.  It's easy to frighten stupid people and get them to sign ANYTHING.  More after the jump.

So a "Save Our Sirens" campaign has been started.  Might I suggest we do a "Shut Up And Do The News" campaign?  I think it would probably be better if we just turn the channel until they get off of their little soap box.

The general manager of that station is known for his pandering commentaries.  He'll only speak out on the popular side of any issue (low tuition is good, first responders are great, cookies & milk taste wonderful).  Now they want to frighten people into thinking that tornado sirens will make a difference in the case of severe weather.  The facts are, THEY DO NOT.  If already shown how these eyesores lead to complacency.  I've already proven that you have a better chance of being ripped apart by wild dogs than by being killed in a tornado.

The best part is, I've dropped by their Facebook, and found that fully half of the comments (unless they've deleted them by now) are AGAINST the idea.  The problem is, as I've written, they are so desperate to prove their right, they won't back off now.  I also saw on that page, from what appeared to be a credible source, that the price of these sirens is equal to about $50 for every man, woman and child in this county.  But what about the bleeding hearts that say, "You can't put a price on a human life"?  Well as I said, then we need to install alarms for falling out of bed, lightning, or any of the gazillion things that are more likely to kill you than a tornado.

Simple question.  Are you going to let a t.v. station decide how to spend your taxes?  And if that t.v. station is so concerned, why don't they offer up their t.v. tower for free as a home for some of the sirens?  Or maybe that's why their pushing this, to get some of that good "tower rent money".

Like EVERYTHING in life, you have to play the odds.  There's a chance a pothole will cause you to spin out and kill yourself in a car crash.  There's a chance not funding enough police will cause you to be the victim of a home invasion.  There's a chance not having enough firemen will lead to your house burning down. There's a chance that not having enough animal control will lead to you being killed by dogs. There's a chance if we don't have pest control you could get West Nile and die.

Trust me, I'm in "the media." This is nothing more than a media campaign to get the rubes riled up for the benefit of the t.v. station. Money that could be spent on tornado sirens is best spent elsewhere to protect us from things that are FAR more likely to happen. Unlike them though, I encourage you to look at the facts. Take a look at some of the link provided in the story.

I thought this old cartoon was appropriate.  Let your kids watch it.