Response

 A bridge too far. 

This was the phrase that came to mind as I was reading an article describing how FEMA workers had to stop clearing mud and debris from the recent hurricane that ravaged the southeast. In North Carolina, National Guard troops ran into armed militia saying they were "hunting FEMA." Further investigation led to the arrest of William Parsons of Bostic. Parsons was charged with "going armed to the terror of the public." Combine this with the flurry of misinformation being passed along by various elements regarding the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and you've got the recipe for a Perfect Storm Response. 

Rumors such as the agency is running out of money, that if victims apply for assistance their property will be seized, FEMA aid will impact Social Security and other benefits, and a particular favorite of those on the hard, red right: FEMA is spending disaster recovery funds on sheltering immigrants at the border. All of this fearmongering is like pouring itching powder on America's trigger finger. Imagine going down to help out your fellow man by shoveling mud out of people's communities only to dodge bullets while doing so.

It takes a special sort of evil to intentionally stir up chaos for those who have been sent in to try and manage it. Who cares if those directly affected by the disaster don't get the support they need as long as a conspiracy can bloom in its place? 

I suppose it shouldn't surprise me. We are just a few weeks away from bearing witness to seeing just how ferocious the divide that exists in our country truly is. The well-armed militia that our founding fathers once hoped would help maintain order in the midst of unrest has become the engine by which factions will be further divided while we all run for cover. 

Not from a hurricane or wildfire, but from our fellow Americans. 

Time to put down the guns and start picking up the shovels to get some of this manure back where it came from.