Greg Abbott, the governor of Texas, sneered when a reporter questioned him about who is to blame for the over 100 fatalities caused by the devastating Guadalupe River flooding this month. “Who is at fault?” he asked. “Be aware that losers use that word.”
Following a disaster, there is a tendency to avoid assigning and accepting blame. Many political leaders advocate a variation of the phrase “now is the time to come together” in the wake of school shootings, claiming that any other approach could “politicize this tragedy.” For instance, Governor Brian Kemp declared, “Today is not the day for politics or policy,” following the murder of four people at Georgia’s Apalachee High School last year.
Maybe this is a result of wanting to keep the victims’ families and friends safe. During my own interviews with camping experts last week, I observed this. They sidestepped my question about what they believed went wrong at Camp Mystic, where at least 27 counselors and campers perished.
According to one camp insurer, “the loss of life is very tragic, but you got to think about all the kids that also made it.” “We don’t make any determinations or ideas around what happened, what didn’t happen,” a camp-health specialist informed me.
To be fair, it’s still unclear exactly what happened. Dick Eastland, the director of Camp Mystic, approved a system of rain gauges decades ago to warn people in case of an emergency, suggesting that he was aware of the possibility of flooding. The floods claimed Eastland’s life. It may seem disgusting to inquire about whether the camp should have been better prepared after such a defeat.
Nonetheless, the camp did make some choices that now seem careless. It started a project in 2019 to construct new cabins, some of which would be located in areas vulnerable to flooding. Additionally, the camp neglected to relocate a number of older cabins despite the fact that they were in a floodway, which Kerr County officials describe as “an extremely hazardous area due to the velocity of floodwaters.” (A request for comment from Camp Mystic was not answered.)
For their actions and inactions in protecting Mystic campers and others in the flood zone, the state and local governments should also be held accountable.
Asking questions now is perfectly acceptable. For example, did camp officials adhere to the emergency plans that allowed the camp to pass a state inspection two days prior to the flood? Why did authorities provide “little or no help” as the campers struggled to survive while wading to higher ground through rising waters?
Why was a CodeRED emergency alert delayed for an hour after a local firefighter requested that it be sent? After years of considering the project, why did Kerr County, which is located in “Flash Flood Alley” and is home to several summer camps, including Mystic, find it difficult to install a flood-warning system?
When local officials attempted to do so, why was the state rejected? Why did so many people on so many different levels seem unwilling to confront the danger these kids were in?
Gentle phrases like “come together” and “focus on the mourning” can feel comforting and safe during a time of confusion and suffering. Furthermore, taking responsibility for something that went horribly wrong is frequently painful and humiliating; placing blame can be depressing.
The alternative, however, is far worse: a society in which the death of innocent people is accepted as inevitable, in which no disaster can be avoided, and in which unfavorable circumstances cannot be changed. It may be more unsettling at first to acknowledge that we can make the world a better place, but it is also more optimistic.
Determining the cause of a significant failure is important because doing so can help stop a similar one in the future. “I think things should come out of this,” former Kerr County commissioner Tom Moser told reporters. “It ought to be a lesson learned.”
Accountability is another word for blame, and it has the power to spur change. Richard Clarke, who served as the country’s counterterrorism coordinator both before and during the 9/11 attacks, told the victims’ families, “Your government failed you. You were let down by those who were supposed to keep you safe. And I failed you”—a mindset that contributed to national security improvement initiatives.
When a man shot and killed 51 people in two mosques in New Zealand in 2019, then–prime minister Jacinda Ardern claimed she felt almost “complicit” because the country’s laws had made it legal for the shooter to obtain his weapons. “I went to a press conference immediately after and said that our gun laws needed to change,” she told NPR recently, indicating that she believed it was time for politics and policy.
I would wager that the reporter who questioned Abbott wanted accountability. Numerous studies have demonstrated that when journalists question politicians, the results for the public improve. In many nations, press freedom is associated with lower levels of corruption. According to one study, “the ability of citizens to hold their politicians accountable for their actions determines how well any government functions.” A government is forced to serve its citizens by these accountability levers.
Of course, bad things will still happen even if officials accept responsibility. Children may have perished in the Guadalupe flood despite earlier warnings and cabins on higher ground.
However, we should also make an effort to comprehend what transpired as we unite, offer prayers for the victims, and comfort their families. Life is full of tragedy. However, by acting as though we have no control over tragedies, we should avoid inviting more than are necessary.
