MSN_020719

malibusurfsidenews.com SOUND OFF
Malibu surfside news | February 7, 2019 | 19
Social snapshot
Top Web Stories
from MalibuSurfsideNews.com as of Monday,
Feb. 4
1. Two-year anniversary of Elaine Park’s disappearance
comes, goes
2. Whole Foods developers divulge details on vendors,
more at Chamber mixer
3. Council mulls independent review of City manager,
staff’s fire response
4. Road closures throughout Malibu, despite
evacuation orders being lifted
5. Agoura Hills DRC to close in conjunction with Jan. 31
application deadlines
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Senator Henry Stern (@HenrySternCA) posted
Jan. 26:
“Today, I submitted my paperwork for fire assistance.
If you were affected by the #WoolseyFire
and haven’t yet applied, *now* is the
time to do so.”
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Santa Monica Mountain Fund (@SamoFund)
posted Friday, Feb. 1:
“Today is National Serpent Day! Did you know
that the Southern Pacific Rattlesnake is the
ONLY reptile in the Santa Monica Mountains
that gives birth to live young? #SerpentDay
#funfactfriday”
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From the Editor
Coming to grips with reality
Lauren Coughlin
lauren@malibusurfsidenews.com
Humans have figured
out an awful lot
over the years.
We’ve tinkered and
tinkered to better so many
aspects of our collective
lives, but, at the end of the
day, when you strip away
all of our gadgets and possessions,
we are the same
emotional beings we have
been since the beginning
of time. And when things
are out of our control, it is
a hard reality to face, no
matter one’s age, beliefs or
social status.
Last month, the Surfside
News caught up with Firefighters
Down, a nonprofit
tour
From Page 14
that aids first responders
in the wake of catastrophic
events such as the Woolsey
Fire but also year-round.
The mental health professionals
who work with that
organization noted that
humans can only take so
much, and that decompression
is key to regaining
normalcy.
For those individuals, as
it is for many, seeking help
is not easy. Sometimes,
loved ones have to recognize
the warning signs and
offer a nudge.
It makes perfect sense
that those who so regularly
see trauma are going to
carry some of that with
them, but I think it’s a
reality that we often take
for granted. Some of us,
surely, can stomach and
take on more than others,
but none of us are bulletproof.
So, if those who voluntarily
choose to encounter
traumatic situations time
and time again struggle
with coming face to face
“Walter Cronkite
couldn’t get a job today,”
he said. “The press is in a
very terrible way – people
need to remember that political
correctness is actually
a Stalinist term that
was pervasively referred to
in Pravda.”
As each professor gave
closing arguments, noting
that debates about issues
integral to intense
and engaged colloquy on
campuses should never
close, Wax pointed out that
the key to a valuable college
experience is to have
campuses where there are
balanced, meaningful conversations
so students “are
exposed to a full range of
ideas.”
Attendee Brandon
Hughes, a sophomore at
Pepperdine, found the
symposia thought-provoking.
“I thought that Professor
Wax was much more open
and fair than I would have
expected based on her
writings,” he said. “She
gave balanced responses
and Professor Dershowitz
was great.”
Attendee Bob Donovan
deemed the symposia productive
and important.
“It was remarkable to
have an opportunity to see
both professors, especially
Professor Dershowitz, who
is admired by all for his
strident positions,” he said.
“He is a man who wanted
to defend Hitler based on
principle.”
Dennis Prager agreed.
“Professor Dershowitz
does not focus on what
feels good, but on what is
good for our country and
he doesn’t speak a party
line,” he said. “Rather, he
speaks about what makes
good sense.”
with it, where does that
leave the rest of us?
This week, that question
and reality was explored
as trauma experts came to
Malibu City Hall (see the
story on Page 4) to discuss
how the fire may have
impacted and will likely
continue to impact the residents
of Malibu, including
children.
In the hustle and bustle
of trying to decide which
loans to apply for and
how to go about rebuilding
one’s life, self-care,
unfortunately, may not be
top of mind, the experts
noted, and, thus, a trauma
reaction can emerge later.
In many ways, I think
lots of Malibuites have
strived to take their wellness
into their own hands.
Many have worked to regain
a sense of community,
to talk about what they
have been through among
one another, and to settle
back into familiar routines.
There have been barbecues
and Thanksgiving dinners
and any other number
of community-focused
events, and there have
been many in the community
who have worked to
extend a hand to those in
need in any way they can.
Malibu Strong has
proven to be much more
than just a catchphrase, and
it’s going to be important
to keep channeling that
inner strength. We cannot
accurately predict what the
coming weeks, months or
years hold, but there will
always be many things
which do remain within
our control. And for those
who are struggling, there’s
no shame in seeking help.
We have the power to do
so much for ourselves and
others, but no one person
holds all the cards. That is
OK. That is what makes us
human.
Malibu
Surfside News
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