| By Bob Weaver
Things that scare the masses?
In 1939 a national radio network broadcast a version of H. G. Well's "War of the Worlds," starring Orson Welles. The story script was adapted to a first person, a drama happening here and now.
The USA was being attacked by aliens from another world, detailed by the powerful voice of Wells, they, the aliens, were destroying right now.
My dad, in his tiny house near Hur, had tuned in the radio drama from its onset, and was aware of the fictional nature of the drama. He still said it make nervousness go up his spine.
But millions of America's did not, tuning in late, and hearing the horrific and devastating descriptions coming from the mouth of Wells, life could be coming to an end.
Newspaper accounts described the reaction of Americans, many who fled to the streets, basements and caves.
Saturday, an official disaster announcement was issued by state officials to the cell phones of Hawaii residents that inter-continental ballistic missiles were baring down on the county, take cover, this is not a test.
To say the least it set off wide spread panic in a state that is already on edge with threats from North Korea.
The alert, sent by the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency, was revoked 38 minutes after it was issued, prompting confusion over why it was released â and why it took so long to rescind.
Officials said the alert was the result of human error and not the work of hackers or a foreign government.
"Someone clicked the wrong thing on the computer," they said.
In a time of renewed fear about the pushing of a nuclear button, maybe its a sign that the US Congress should review the protocols for its pushing, or even reconsider having an up and down vote by Congress in declaring war.
What safeguards are in place to check human error.
We have much to be afraid.
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