A Moment of Silence

I have returned from my Hawaiian vacation, and so my daily entries will begin again on Monday. Before they resume, however, I feel it's appropriate to observe a virtual moment of silence for all of those affected by the disastrous collapse of I-35W in Minneapolis on August 1.

We were in our hotel about to receive our "goodbye" leis when someone mentioned the bridge. Over the next few hours, we learned more. Fortunately, none of our family were involved, though my uncle had passed over that bridge a mere five minutes before the collapse.

While national news is probably covering the story pretty well, I've been impressed with the KSTP coverage since I got home. For anyone looking for a local angle (many local angles, really) I suggest you start there. They are doing a great job at providing the latest facts. For example: "The number of dead stands at five, and at least eight victims are believed trapped in the wreckage."

It's quite astonishing that there were so few fatalities, and that none have happened as part of the rescue efforts. In particular, the first couple of hours after the collapse, many "ordinary" people helped get people to safety, and many unpaid first-responders put themselves in dangerous situations to clear people from the debris and the unstable area.

So, let's all pause for a minute and let our thoughts and (if you're so inclined) prayers reach out to the people who are grieving, the people who are injured, and the people who helped and are still helping.


















Thank you.