Believe in omens? Occurrences that portend future events? Either
way, let us celebrate the miracle of the Hudson River off
Manhattan. An Airbus laden with 150 souls had struck a flight of
geese upon takeoff from LaGuardia airport, veered left, losing
power, sailed over the George Washington Bridge and landed in the
Hudson River.
A miniature 9-11? No. The pilot made what amounted to a
dead-stick landing in the water without tearing his plane apart
and soon everyone aboard had been rescued by the covies of boats
and helicopters that raced to the scene.
No diminishing the pilot’s skill. But there was another element,
undiscoverable but salient, we might acknowledge. It will not
require an incoming President to invade another country, or to
cast blame. It was good fortune. We can hope, pray if you do,
that this is a portent of those things to come under Barack Obama
and that whatever we may do to make this so, will be done.
