In one of the worst domestic tragedies in years, a summer camp in Hunt, TX, was inundated by flash flooding early Friday morning, with dozens still missing and at least 24 already confirmed dead, most of them being children. Videos showed entire bunkhouses being swept away, and a massive search-and-rescue operation is ongoing.
It should go without saying that this is not a time to politicize the situation, especially given how much devastation is already assured for so many families. Unfortunately, some people just can't help themselves. CNN Senior National Security Analyst and consultant for The Atlantic, Juliette Kayyem, spent her July 4th pondering whether this was all Donald Trump's fault.
What a disgusting post on so many levels. She has no evidence that cuts to federal weather services played any role in this situation, yet she rushes to social media to suggest that, while using her own children as cover for her supposed concern. It's as nonsensical as it is cynical. It also exposes a deep pathology on the left, which is the idea that if we just spend enough money, we can have an all-powerful, omnipotent government that prevents all tragedies from taking place.
That's not how life works, though. In this case, a flood watch was issued 12 hours in advance, and a flash flood warning did go out three hours before the Guadelupe crested. I've seen nothing to support the idea that the forecasting was deficient or that a lack of bureaucracy in Washington inhibited the response. The sad truth is that because this happened in the middle of the night, meaning the warnings likely weren't seen by most, and because flash floods by their very definition are sudden events, there was simply nothing that could have been done to prevent this. I think Kayyem knows that, but she's so eaten up with hateful partisanship that she doesn't realize how depraved she sounds.
Families are hurting right now, and unfortunately, more are likely to receive horrible news in the near future as the rescue and recovery efforts continue. Everyone should be praying that more children are found alive and for strength for those whose children have perished. What no one should be doing is sprinting to try to make a flash flood a political bludgeon.