Surviving Disaster

• Share

Amanda Ripley's piece about surviving disaster was both informative and important [June 23]. But her recounting of the fatal fire at the Beverly Hills Supper Club, which I covered as a correspondent for ABC News, omitted two key lessons. One: when someone yells "Fire!" (or anything equally alarming), people must err on the side of caution. And two: exit doors must open outward! Most of the corpses at the Beverly Hills were lumped up against the exits. The people who reached the doors first couldn't open them because they opened inward, and when more people pressed up behind them, the doors couldn't open at all.
Greg Dobbs, EVERGREEN, COLO., U.S.

Morgan Stanley security chief Rick Rescorla may very well be the greatest American hero no one has ever heard of. Rescorla's many friends — from his Army days on — have been advocating a Presidential Medal of Freedom for him. But that has gone nowhere, because to celebrate his achievements and sacrifices on 9/11 calls attention to those — at the Port Authority and elsewhere — who got it all wrong.
Steven R. Hansen, JONESBORO, ARIZ., U.S.

You missed an opportunity to promote a critical need: for average Americans to get involved with their local community emergency-response team. Too many people still expect others to take care of them when first responders are overwhelmed in a large disaster.
Don Jones, SAN JOSE, CALIF., U.S.

Better Safe than Sorry
Thanks for the great article on surviving a disaster [June 23]. I have been a pilot since 1951, both in the military (retired lieutenant colonel, U.S. Air Force) and as an aerial photographer.
I believe I am still alive because I have always had a plan of action when things go wrong. When I now fly commercial, I am disappointed that no one other than myself pays attention to the flight attendant. I also read the emergency instructions on the card. I look for the nearest emergency exit and tell my wife, "In case of an emergency, I'm going that way. Grab my belt and follow me."
My grandkids say my middle name is "Safety." I didn't make it to 80 by being careless.
Tony Weissgarber, SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS, U.S.

Gossip Whirl
Can "Obama shred the rumors" [June 23]? Sure, but should he be distracted and waste his time and energy doing so? The best response to untrue and exaggerated blather is to simply say it is not true and let the accusers expend and frustrate themselves trying to prove otherwise.
Ron Blackmore, HAMILTON, N.Y., U.S.

Israel's Rising Star
In his otherwise good report on Israeli leader Tzipi Livni, Tim McGirk states, "She broke with her parents' Zionist views; friends say she'd rather have a peaceful Israel to bequeath to her children" [June 23]. I didn't realize that for Israelis, having nationalistic feelings and a desire to live in peace are mutually exclusive.
Robert Isler, FAIR LAWN, N.J., U.S.

Where's the Veep?
Try to think outside the beltway [June 23]. I am a 57-year-old black female who accepts the reality of race and is truly more focused on simply having good government that works — black, white or Technicolor. We Democrats must have a white male on the ticket with Barack Obama to guarantee a win in November, because this is a white man's world. I say this with no animosity or bitterness. The Veep must also be smart, handsome, Southern, a military man and reasonably conservative. We're on a roll.
Marlene B. Feltus-Jackson, NEW ORLEANS