Commentaries
January 22, 2008Commentaries is where Minnesota Public Radio welcomes your thoughtful opinion about current events and issues. Commentaries are like letters to the editor. To be considered for publication, your commentary should be issue-related, clearly written, and follow our Terms of Use. New insights into ongoing topics are especially welcome. Not all commentaries received are published. For topical interaction with others, visit the discussion groups.
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Bridge collapse and gusset plate design
I am president of a medium size rigging company that also does heavy steel structures as part of out business. What bothers me most about this is that the checks and balances have failed. [MPR News: Why did no one ever look at the gusset plates?] No one person is responsible for a design.
Shortly after this tragic accident all of the states jumped on the bandwagon and re-inspected bridges that had been inspected with no idea of what they where looking for. If I understand the findings correctly, these bridges should be re-inspected and designs checked again and not use the old adage that this is the strongest part of the structure.
Robert Olori
Pearl River, N.Y.
Updating televisions is ridiculous
They got to be kidding. [MPR News: Consumers have a year to prepare for digital TV]
How many Minnesota households do they think will be able to afford the $10, $30, $50 or $70 to just watch TV? What do they think these people will be doing if they don't watch any TV? Talk about opening Pandora's Box. And all this so more money can be made. It certainly isn't for picture quality, the old sets are seeing the increased picture quality without HD.
Herbert David
Corcoran, Minn.
Indian boarding school experience still felt
When my mother was two she was left on the steps of an Indian Boarding School. [MPR News Archive: Film crew revisits Indian boarding schools]
My mother was raised in Indian boarding schools and was scared of the nuns. She called them black crows. If she needed anything she would go to the custodian. I just happen to come across this site looking for pictures of boarding schools that my mother attended and I can't wait to tell her about the movie. My mother was orphaned as was her other brothers and sisters, so the movie will tell her story. It's one thing to talk about it but unless you've been there or seen it in color no on will ever know what those kids went through.
Nancy McConnell
Blanchard, Okla.
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