Death toll expected to rise at U.S. bridge collapse

agnslz

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It seems now that the death toll likely won't rise to a staggering number. The cable outlets are all saying that there are eight people still missing. That would most likely put the death toll at around sixteen. Obviously a huge tragedy for the families of those killed, but luckily not as big a tragedy as it could've been. It's really quite amazing that so many people survived it.
 

mindseye

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I predict the following short-term results: a rapid increase in talk about funding for highway maintenance at Federal and state levels, and a slew of scary stories on your local news about bridges in your area that are about to collapse from neglect. [...]

Band-aid on a hemorrhage. It's happening here in Blacksburg, too. In the aftermath of the Virginia Tech shootings, the biggest change has been this hugely publicized roll-out of "VT ALERTS": instead of receiving emergency messages via e-mail, you can opt-in to receive them by text message instead. (So that next time someone shoots thirty-two people on our campus, an hour later the rescue workers will get to hear some ring-tone music to make their gruesome job more pleasant?)

The second biggest change is that they're (quite noisily to those of us who are teaching summer classes) replacing the locks on the doors of every classroom on campus. (So that next time, instead of going from classroom to classroom, the shooter will just pick students off as they cross the drillfield?)

So far, there's been very little serious attention directed at improving the way potentially dangerous students are connected to the help they need.
 

SpeedoGuy

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....the biggest change has been this hugely publicized roll-out of "VT ALERTS": instead of receiving emergency messages via e-mail, you can opt-in to receive them by text message instead.

Text message warnings about killers on the rampage? God, why does this not suprise me? The Band-Aid analogy was appropriate; talk about missing the point!

I confess I'm utterly dismayed by our tendency to substitute superficial technological trinkets instead of taking a hard look the situation to search for real solutions.

So far, there's been very little serious attention directed at improving the way potentially dangerous students are connected to the help they need.

Well, that would require dollars. So, no go. Be happy with your text alerts.