Prepare for the worst, hope for the best

One question that always arises after a mass shooting in which many innocent people are killed is, "Why didn’t somebody try to disarm the shooter?"

The answer always depends on the circumstances, but part of it is that many Americans just can’t believe that something so awful could be happening to them and are frozen into inaction — to the point that they don’t even try to run or hide.

The Houston Mayor’s Office of Public Safety and Homeland Security now is trying to counter that deadly mental paralysis with a six-minute video that advises viewers who might find themselves in such circumstances to "Run, hide, fight."

This dramatic video — which takes no sides on the issue of gun control — was funded by a $200,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and is well worth watching, considering that even laid-back Hawaii has not been immune to mass shootings. As with other random disasters that can occur in life, you need to be prepared for the worst, and this video is a good first step. You can watch it at www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VcSwejU2D0

‘With this ring, I thee wed’

Sometimes you gotta be careful what you wish for, because you just might get it.

That’s the case with the two women who sued state prison officials for the right to wed inmates from Hawaii incarcerated at Saguaro Correctional Facility in Arizona. U.S. District Chief Judge Susan Oki Mollway ruled this week that of course they have the right to marry their fiances, so now they get to slap on the ol’ ball and chain, too.

Cynicism aside, we wish them happy marriages.