Sinking to a New Low (Even for Him)

NT: Here is another contribution from Johann. He is pretty fired up about Star Tribune columnist Nick Coleman's recent article about the 35W bridge collapse. Read and comment.

The collapse of the 35W bridge over the Mississippi is a terrible, tragic event. Even today, as I write this, many families who have been missing their loved ones since Wednesday, have no body to bring closure to their grief. Thursday, as the dust was still settling, the news media began to assign blame for the collapse; the national and local media blaming their respective pariahs, President George W. Bush and Governor Tim Pawlenty. One of the most vitriolic columns I have read in my entire life, (especially considering the timing) was written by Nick Coleman of the Minneapolis Star Tribune. http://www.startribune.com/coleman/story/1339911.html You can go ahead and read it for yourself but the long and short of it was that had Governor Pawlenty raised the Minnesota State gas tax 5 cents a gallon the bridge never would have collapsed. Can you imagine this picture. The session ends. The State Senators and State Representatives are victorious in their efforts to raise the gas tax and they march out to the 35W bridge chanting along the way, "Now the bridge won't fall." His argument is absolute lunacy. Had we raised the tax this year or not the bridge still would have fallen. Even more than the ridiculous, illogical argument of Nick Coleman, even if he was right, it is disgusting to read this the morning after the bridge collapsed. To take advantage of people's deaths, while their families are just beginning to mourn them (some without bodies even to mourn over), for the sake of taking a political jab is the most repugnant thing I have ever witnessed by a so called "journalist". Some might say to me, if the governor were a Democrat, you would blame him for this. The honest answer is, I might. But I hope to God that I would never write an article in the state's most widely read newspaper blaming him, while at the same time families were still weeping over their dead. It might be too late, but I encourage the readers to write to the Star Tribune if this man's article made you even slightly as upset as I have been since I read it.
- Johann

NT: I couldn't agree with Johann more. Coleman's article is despicable. Sadly, this event validates Coleman's entire ideology. There are no taxes that are too high. To Coleman, everything is political. That is a sad way to live. Some things are just accidents. I am glad I have come to a point in my life where I can look at an event like this and not have my first thought be who messed this up. Surely, the investigation will show that more maintenance should have been done on the bridge. Hind sight is 20/20. Let's pardon those who made misjudgments and instead focus on mourning the dead and pondering just how fragile our lives really are. Nothing can be taken for granted. Not even a commute home. Let us live with a greatfulness for each day we are spared and be ready for when our day comes.