The bridge, right after collapse, swiped from LGF.
Many have asked why I have not blogged on this. First, this story is just heartbreaking and frankly, I have found it difficult to pontificate. Also, one of the things I struggle with is trying to not have the blog be an echo chamber. Many great blogs were covering this extremely well from the beginning. Charles at LGF had great threads in motion with details, commentary, links and hundreds of comments from his lizards.
But mostly, this event speaks for itself, really, It is horrific and inexplicable. My first reaction, probably like yours, was horror, and then the question, Why? Personally, I don’t think my asking those questions, the natural place for a blogger to go, is appropriate right now. At the press conference going on right now we’ve been told there are still bodies, unrecovered, on the bridge and in the water. These are not missing people (of which there are some) but people who were partially pinned, crushed or seriously injured and found but then died at the scene. any of those people are apparently still unrecovered because it was simply impossible to remove them.
Some are already laying blame. There is plenty of time for that. In this nation this sort of tragedy is unacceptable. Bridges here should not fall down. There is a bridge safety rating system we’re learning about. 70,000 bridges in America have been labeled with the “functionally obsolete” category. I, like you, will be asking questions about this, and the general condition of our infrastructure, but right now, frankly, it’s just not the time, at least for me.
I’ll make this time commentary on Tammy Radio today, but for today, let’s pray for the victims and their families. Every now and then on the radio program I remind you to take nothing for granted; that anything can happen in a moment which changes everything. I know being intensely conscious in every moment is difficult, but this is one more reminder that even going about your daily routine can bring something terribly unexpected. One man was alive but pinned, he survived long enough to tell rescue workers to give a message to his family. Thanks goodness. Many, though, did not have tat opportunity.
Take a moment today to make sure everyone in your life knows how you feel. It not only can’t hurt, it’s a always a good thing to do.
There are many moving survivor stories, and other updates. Here’s a link to the Google lineup for just one example of the coverage.
For the best local coverage, read James Lileks’ blog and coverage at the Minneapolis Star Tribune.
I agree. There’s really nothing yet to blog about, except as a coping/connecting function for folks who need it. But there certainly will be, regardless of the final NTSB (et al.) pronouncement. Some process failed and needs the light shined onto it.
What did make me crazy yesterday was that Homeland Security “assured” us it was not terrorism before the dust had even fallen! It most likely is not, and we pray it is not. But, at least in my mind, it diminishes their credibility to try to keep the masses calm every time before they can truly assess the event — that is, if any intent of having the dept includes our trust. We aren’t stupid. I’ll be persuaded *after* they get on the scene. (maybe) J
Unreal…just this past Saturday the Mrs. and I were driving down to Baltimore, over the vast array of bridges one encounters when one travels over the vast array of rivers and inlets on that route.
I tried to soothe my wife’s bridge-phobia-driven nerves by explaining that they inspect them regularly and that a bridge wasn’t going to just “fall into the water”…and then this happens.
Yet another reason why we should appreciate every moment because you never know…