New York City is one of the biggest cities in the U.S. It was the city that was attacked on 9/11 many years ago. And it’s most likely the city that would get attacked even now.
Residents are used to receiving PSA warnings of all kinds. They are told about severe weather, mass shootings, public health, and more.
Now, the city’s emergency management agency is providing a new PSA. The 90-second video tells of how to survive a nuclear attack. And understandably, it has many residents concerned.
What isn’t the government telling us?
The video informs everyone to stay indoors and wash off any radioactive dust or ash that may be on them. Then, a computer-generated street is shown. Fallen skyscrapers are seen in the background. There’s no life on the streets. A spokesperson stares into the camera and says, “So there’s been a nuclear attack. Don’t ask me how or why. Just know that the big one has hit.”
Clearly, there has to be something going on that would cause New York to send out such a warning. Would the nuclear attack come from Russia? Iran? China? The Biden administration is making more enemies than friends lately, so it would be hard to wager a guess.
Rather than being given an honest assessment of the dangers that the U.S. could face, Christina Farrell is prepared to feed everyone a generic line. As the city’s emergency management deputy commissioner, she’s trying to calm everyone down about the PSA. She said that the video isn’t tied to a specific threat. Instead, it’s to raise awareness about something that most people haven’t really thought of.
She’s right. Most people aren’t thinking about nuclear attacks. We are now, though. And the PSA is leaving us with even more questions.
Should other cities be providing these PSAs?
What is the likelihood of NYC or any other city being hit with a nuclear attack?
Farrell spoke to the Associated Press to say that the goal of her agency is to empower people when there’s a scary situation going on. “I don’t know if there’s ever the perfect moment to talk about nuclear preparedness.” Apparently, implementing nuclear guidelines has been a discussion among city officials since 2003.
Mayor Eric Adams doesn’t seem to be too concerned that it’s sending a mixed message to residents all over the city. He claims that it isn’t “alarmist” and that it’s better to be safe than sorry.
The world hasn’t had to deal with nuclear attacks, though many countries have the technology. There’s been plenty of threats. However, it hasn’t been used since 1945, which is when the atomic bombings took place on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Nuclear tests are happening all the time. And with so much uncertainty in the world, a country could decide to use its nuclear weapons at any time. When the time for talking and negotiating has passed, a country could simply choose to silence the opposition.
New York has taken the initiative to warn its residents about the possibility.
Now, everyone’s looking at the White House. Where’s the PSA from the Biden administration so that every American can be ready?
There is no PSA. It’s proof that Joe Biden speaks without thinking about the consequences. The consequences could be nuclear.
So, at this point, we wait to see if we’ll hear about any real threats that are coming our way. Otherwise, it’s probably a good idea to listen to the PSA issued to NYC residents. It’s only 90 seconds and, well, it’s better to be safe than sorry.
