Riots and Solar Ovens

by BC
(St. Louis, MO)

In the past, living in a suburb of St. Louis, Missouri, has been enjoyable and a great place to raise kids. We have a free zoo, science center, and art museum, lots of great parks and activities, and of course, the Arch! Since the riots in Ferguson in August, the city and its suburbs have lain under a pall of tension. So-called “protesters” regularly show up around town to yell, complain, loot, and generally disturb the peace. Now, with the specter of the Grand Jury decision hanging over us, the city is gearing up for a lockdown. They are preparing for widespread looting and rioting and even deaths. Yes, you read that correctly.

Just the other day, the city of Berkeley, Missouri, sent its residents a notice about the impending trial decision. Residents were told to prepare as if for an earthquake! They were advised to stock up on water, food, blankets, etc. Citizens of Berkeley are not well-off individuals. I highly doubt any of them can afford to stock up supplies; most of them live paycheck-to-paycheck anyway.

I live a 25-minute car ride away from Ferguson, which--if everything deteriorates the way law enforcement and city governments are extrapolating—is too close for my comfort! Many of our neighbors commute to large companies such as Boeing and Express Scripts, which are mere minutes away from the drama that is Ferguson, Missouri. Our international airport is maybe 5 minutes away from Ferguson by car!

I began thinking about things going so far south as to be on the precipice of a total breakdown of our society. Emerson Electric is literally around the corner from the main thoroughfare in Ferguson that was pictured on national airwaves night after night. What if masses of crazy people cause the electricity to go dark? What if mobs of people began to storm businesses and houses all over the city? My fear is that my family and I will be housebound and unable to go out for food and other supplies. However, I ironically don’t fear the loss of electricity…enter the shameless plug for my All-American Sun Oven! After having it for about 5 months, I know that I’ll still be able to cook meals for my family, even if we should lose electricity—so hopefully the sun will still shine! I don’t expect this scenario to happen, nor do I actually think that will happen, but I am prone to let my mind wander to worst-case scenarios!

Speaking of the sun shining, winter has hit our area in a big way. Highs since Tuesday have barely gotten over freezing; snow is expected this weekend. The sun has been practically non-existent. There are other issues at hand concerning cooking outside during riots, but I think having a sustainable method at hand helps calm my worries just a bit. Besides, the Word of the One True God says, “Lord, we know that people do not control their own destiny. It is not in their power to determine what will happen to them.” Jeremiah 10:23 AND
“Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Today has enough trouble of its own.” Matthew 6:34