It was interesting to read about the y2k in a mainstream newspaper. U.S.A. Today did a whole section and even though it was a bit diluted it was pretty informative to the average person. I can see that the increase in awareness just in the last several weeks as the orders in my food storage busisness have literally tripled overnight. I am able to talk to hundreds of people across the country. And YES they are relocating, closing their bank accounts and buying guns, gold and food storage. An interesting note is that four of five are from the Christian community. If the main stream press starts dealing with this more often should we expect Deep Impact (movie) mentality. What did you think about the article? Om May 19 the U.S.A. Today did a story on how bad off our phone service may be. Do you feel the mainstream press is giving more time to this crisis? Will it create a panic among those who have foofooed it off in the past? What impact do you forsee?

Greg Wiatt Emergency Food Storage 520-541-9727 gwiatt@northlink.com

-- Greg Wiatt (gwiatt@northlink.com), June 11, 1998

Answers

It is interesting that on June 11, PBS on the McNeil Lehrer Nightly News also did about 15 minutes on Y2K. They interviewed Ed Yourdon at his home in Taos and they spoke to Yardeni. They interviewed a ConEdison employee who said they would be Y2K ok. They spoke to a New York Water employee who said this was just a bunch of kooks crying doom and gloom.

I can't believe how poorly researched the PBS piece was. First of all, we could expect ConEdison's service to New York City to be one of the nation's most advanced. But there are hundreds of electrical utilities. What about the grid that connects them? They didn't touch it. And the water? Well, it does flow downhill, but what about the sewers? Without pumps, they flow downhill too! They didn't touch it or ask the question? All they really did was try to make Ed Yourdon look like a fool for moving to Taos, to the countryside.

They acknowledged that almost everyone is now Y2K aware at some level, but they put the spin on it that anyone who makes extensive preparations is a kook and that we'll just deal with it when whatever it is that happens occurs.

I think that this will be the prevailing attitude from now till the first big thing that people care about doesn't function.

As for Christians, I am a young pastor. I don't see Christians as being any more aware of this problem than non-Christians. They seem to be no easier to inform about it either. Christians may be more prone to make preparations because the Proverbs encourage it. This may be the reason why you see more Christians taking action. Christians believe that God does warn His people of disasters in advance. I believe that too. I intend to prepare, as best I can, and remain in obedience to God to stay at my post here in a South Florida urban center.

-- Rev. Stephen L. Bening (Gammadim@AOL.com), June 12, 1998.