Updates On The Bridge In Minnesota
I know that last night Thomas directed people to Captain Ed Morrissey's site for updates, and that should be the first place you go to, as well as anyone who is a member of the MOB (Minnesota Organization of Bloggers). They should be your veritable "one-stop shop" for news and information, as well as insight.
The death toll is confirmed at nine right now, and there are still approximately thirty missing. so say a prayer for those that perished, and a say a prayer for those that survived. This could have been much, much worse. And even though we all hate construction on the roads, say a prayer of thanks for that. One lane of traffic,in both directions, is a saving grace for those that were on that bridge. Captain Ed also has the security camera footage of the bridge's collapse, via CNN.
I would like to address something very specific with this tragedy, and Thomas noted it when he was zipping through the chat rooms last night, and that is the immediate rush to declare this an act of terrorism, solely based on the fact that Minnesota has a high percentage of Muslims living within it's borders. This sort of thinking serves no purpose. Both DHS and DoT came out last night and ruled it out. Eyewitnesses that saw it from a distance, and those on the bridge, reported no explosions. some that were on the bridge did say they heard a creaking sound just prior to the bridge buckling. It is highly likely that the collapse was due to fatigue, or possibly an overabundance of stress from the construction still going on. There were warnings that this bridge might have some structural problems, according to the Minnesota DoT in 2005.
As for the terrorism angle, it would make little sense to hit this particular bridge in Minnesota. It is undergoing repairs, which cuts down on the one thing terrorists like to get in an attack -- a body count. The idea that, if this were an attack, it would cause widespread panic is also a mistake. Panic is what we witnessed in the '93 WTC attack, and on 9/11. Panic is what we saw in the anthrax attacks shortly after 9/11. (Not "panic" in the literal sense, mind you, but enough to make people wary of the mail.) Furthermore, if terrorists wanted to really send a message -- one of panic and fear -- then why not hit the Twins game last night? An attack similar to those that have occurred in Great Britain could have caused far more significant damage, deaths, and panic. So, for all those out there still believing this was an act of terrorism, please stop. You are contributing nothing to the tragedy.
This was a simple case of fatigue and stress on a bridge. What is regrettable most about this is that there was a loss of life, and that this could be due to shoddy workmanship, rushed repairs, and seriously deficient oversight. There will be investigations. There will be questions. Fingers will be pointed in a variety of directions. President Bush has promised a "robust" federal response to this tragedy, and that is the first thing that people in Minnesota should be concerned with.
There has been an outpouring of assistance from the nation, including a good deal of people wanting to know what they can do to help those affected by this. Head here to see how you can help. They are taking any and all sorts of assistance relevant to this accident.
Marcie
The death toll is confirmed at nine right now, and there are still approximately thirty missing. so say a prayer for those that perished, and a say a prayer for those that survived. This could have been much, much worse. And even though we all hate construction on the roads, say a prayer of thanks for that. One lane of traffic,in both directions, is a saving grace for those that were on that bridge. Captain Ed also has the security camera footage of the bridge's collapse, via CNN.
I would like to address something very specific with this tragedy, and Thomas noted it when he was zipping through the chat rooms last night, and that is the immediate rush to declare this an act of terrorism, solely based on the fact that Minnesota has a high percentage of Muslims living within it's borders. This sort of thinking serves no purpose. Both DHS and DoT came out last night and ruled it out. Eyewitnesses that saw it from a distance, and those on the bridge, reported no explosions. some that were on the bridge did say they heard a creaking sound just prior to the bridge buckling. It is highly likely that the collapse was due to fatigue, or possibly an overabundance of stress from the construction still going on. There were warnings that this bridge might have some structural problems, according to the Minnesota DoT in 2005.
As for the terrorism angle, it would make little sense to hit this particular bridge in Minnesota. It is undergoing repairs, which cuts down on the one thing terrorists like to get in an attack -- a body count. The idea that, if this were an attack, it would cause widespread panic is also a mistake. Panic is what we witnessed in the '93 WTC attack, and on 9/11. Panic is what we saw in the anthrax attacks shortly after 9/11. (Not "panic" in the literal sense, mind you, but enough to make people wary of the mail.) Furthermore, if terrorists wanted to really send a message -- one of panic and fear -- then why not hit the Twins game last night? An attack similar to those that have occurred in Great Britain could have caused far more significant damage, deaths, and panic. So, for all those out there still believing this was an act of terrorism, please stop. You are contributing nothing to the tragedy.
This was a simple case of fatigue and stress on a bridge. What is regrettable most about this is that there was a loss of life, and that this could be due to shoddy workmanship, rushed repairs, and seriously deficient oversight. There will be investigations. There will be questions. Fingers will be pointed in a variety of directions. President Bush has promised a "robust" federal response to this tragedy, and that is the first thing that people in Minnesota should be concerned with.
There has been an outpouring of assistance from the nation, including a good deal of people wanting to know what they can do to help those affected by this. Head here to see how you can help. They are taking any and all sorts of assistance relevant to this accident.
Marcie
posted by Syd And Vaughn | 3:15 PM
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