American Storm Watch

In Atlantic states, residents are transfixed by Hurricane Sandy as TV screens fill up with faces of governors and local officials issuing directives, warnings and reports on their preparations for the worst.

Families hunker down with the knowledge that many thousands are out there to help in case of disaster.

Elsewhere in the nation, attention centers on pre-election minutiae. Fox News is mesmerized by the question of who did what in Benghazi weeks ago.

Regardless of ideology, can Americans admit to themselves they don’t live in the bubble of selfishness that dominates election ads and campaign rhetoric?

Can we stop talking about who didn’t build what and realize that forms of community, elected or not, are vital to keeping what we have?

Can we remember that the ground under our feet is not as solid as it seems and that in so many ways we are one another’s keepers?

Hopefully, the storm’s property damage will be less than predicted. Can we do anything to minimize the human damage of our presumption?