Con-Sense

 My family and I drove across the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Maryland. Once. A long time ago. There was a small part of me that shuddered upon seeing the video of its collapse early Tuesday morning. A cargo ship lost power and crashed into one of the supports, bringing the entire structure down. Two people were rescued, and another six were feared lost as the connector for Baltimore's urban and suburban districts was gone in a matter of seconds. The victims were on the bridge. None of the cargo ship's crew were injured. 

It could have been much worse. Had the accident taken place during daylight hours. This branch of I-695 carried significant shipping traffic as well as commuters. Things could have been much worse. Which made me think about another bridge collapse a long time ago. 

When the Loma Prieta Earthquake struck the Bay Area back in 1989, the double-deck Cypress Street approach to the Bay Bridge pancaked, trapping motorists in their cars, and the Bay Bridge itself experienced a massive failure as a section of the top deck broke and fell down on the lower. Forty-two people died at the Cypress site, only one died as result of the Bay Bridge collapse. This loss of life would have been far greater had there not been a World Series game taking place in San Francisco at the time. People altered their commutes to avoid traffic or missing any part of the game between the Giants and the Athletics. 

That was in another time. No one suggested that the deep state was somehow to blame for the tragedy. No one claimed that government agencies had plotted together to make something happen to its own citizens. 

Welcome to 2024, when every catastrophe has a conspiracy lining. Utah State Representative Phil Lyman had this to say: "This is what happens when you have governors who prioritize diversity over the wellbeing and security of citizens." You would not be alone if you were left scratching your head in wonder about this assertion. Speaking of heads, the pointy heads that come up with this kind of malarkey have also suggested that Boeing's recent trouble has everything to do with Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and not corporate greed. 

Of course, they might have taken the opportunity to connect the once upon a time trip the author of this lefty blog took to the events in Maryland. That makes about as much sense. With apologies to sense.