To me, the best strategy is more active listensing and inclusion. The creation of HealthCommentary.org provides a single platform where varying points of view can collide and be debated. Our Healthy Voices campaign, underway right now on college campuses around the country, with student correspondent video interviews to begin airing in November, demonstrates our intent to not only listen, but to actively reach out, and gather diverse voices and divergent opinions.

Unrelated to Healthy Voices, I received a recent opinion piece from one college student in California. By way of full disclosure, she is one of some 60 nieces and nephews that our (me one of 12, my wife one of 10) large families have spawned. This next generation has come of age. They are diverse, bright, critical, insightful, literate, and controversial. They are complex and embrace complexity. They are not afraid to speak their minds. They have something to say, and they deserve a good listening.

A case in point, and without further editorialization: Here is Nadia Kent on the California Fires, Katrina, Yuppies and the Media, with an additional short response to my request to include it in this blog.

Nadia Kent:

“I just wanted to let everyone know that my family is fine with regards to the fires. Cousin Suzy facebook-messaged me and said that I should send a note out, so here we go…

Although we left the canyon beforehand, Topanga residents were asked to evacuate on Monday because the fire had reached the Malibu-Topanga border street (Saddlepeak). Luckily it was stopped there at some point yesterday. Now all people in our area are really worried about is the air quality, which has been hospitalizing those with predispositions to respiratory issues. Despite the loss of quite a few homes, Malibu was very fortunate compared to some other areas. I’m sure many of you have had the opportunity to see those on the news.

Speaking as an observer, it has been odd watching the local coverage. I don’t know how it has been handled on other networks, but here it’s been packaged as though it’s another Katrina instance. The first day commercials and daytime talk-show programming were cancelled to give us nonstop updates, which was comforting… I think that’s what they were going for. But as the hours wore on, it became very clear that they were harping on the less significant things to hype up the tragic aspects – they kept showing the same clip of an “injured” house owner that had been blown by the santa anas into a cactus patch, asking the same questions to the same people at different times, talking up the fact that things like certain churches or “landmarks” had been burnt down.

My favorite was the faux castle that was built in the 1970s by a billionaire. It was reported as though the structure was actually made to withstand an army. The same can be said for the pueblo-style mansions made of stucco instead of dense, impenetrable mud, or the beachfront homes that theoretically ought to be easier to defend. People come here to play cowboys and indians without the small pox (or the indians, for that matter), and cry when nature fulfills its obligations. I guess the relation to Katrina makes some sense – losing a home is hard, losing past relics can be harder – but you have to admit, it’s easier for people like Pamela Anderson, Mel Gibson, and Tori Spelling (whom I wouldn’t mention because she’s not that special, but she was talking on Entertainment Tonight last night, and was the reason I changed channels) to take their thoroughbred stallions, their miniature dogs, and their enormous vehicles and just leave than it was for most people in New Orleans. Plus, New Orleans doesn’t deal with Hurricane Katrina every ten years or so. The truth is that people – and usually rather wealthy people – take this risk by living in Malibu, and with every year the land doesn’t burn off the underbrush, there’s a better chance that it’s going to happen the following one. You would think the more materialistic types would opt for something a little less vulnerable.

Don’t get me wrong, I love my home, as does my family, and I was very shaken up at the prospects of losing it. I feel really bad for those who have. The potential of losing it was the second-to-last thing I needed during midterm week (the last would have been actually losing it). I have been having horrible dreams and waking up in awkward positions, and worried that all I wrote in the blue book for my in-class essay on the significance of Demeter and Persephone’s relationship was “OMG MY HOUSE MAY BE A PILE OF ASHES AND I JUST BOUGHT AN ENORMOUS BOOK OF HEMINGWAY’S SHORT STORIES AND I WILL NEVER LOVE AGAIN” etc, etc. But considering, I’ve been comfortably shacked up at my mother’s, sixteen miles or more away from any flying cinders, eating ice cream and studying as best I can, so I have no significant reason to complain.

Anyway, I just wanted to let you know in case you were wondering. If you haven’t been, let me know so I can personally not care the next > time you might be on fire.

I kid, I kid. : )

All my love.”

Nadia Kent:

“Not at all! That would actually be nice, although it may generate some hatemail judging by how upset I’ve made certain people already. Yesterday I was answering some questions a friend had while in a coffeeshop and a woman overheard me talking on my cell and decided it was imperative that she give me a stern talking-to, Malibu resident to Malibu resident. Can’t say that I minded because I’m stubborn and generally don’t think much of what strangers think about my personal conversations, but I did feel bad that I made her back hair bristle with indignance. : )

Ah, yuppies. What do you do with them? How do you reason with someone that walks around in Ugg boots and TShirts that have Buddhist symbols on them, that drive Hummers and text message at the same time well into their 60’s and get angry at you when they swerve into your lane at 55mph? Does the power of reason major into this equation if the other party involved reacts to everything as though they’re in no way accountable?”

Answers for Nadia?

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