Francis Scott Key Bridge

The Collapse of the Key Bridge

A heavily ladened merchant ship hit the key bridge in Baltimore on a Tuesday morning at 1:30 AM. This was a major catastrophe. Six people lost their lives.

Fast forward to the AM news talk shows. Beat reporters have submitted their news stories for publication. Major news agencies that dominate the airways have commissioned their “experts” to formulate possible scenarios based on the partial facts of what they know. The race to be first to report on such a major event outweighs the time it takes to conduct an unbiased and measured news story, based on the limited information available at the time.

Jesus Campos, a worker originally from El Salvador, speaks about his coworkers who were working on the night shift while repairing the Francis Scott Key Bridge at the time of the accident when it collapsed after a Singapore-flagged container ship called the Dali collided with it along a shipping channel in Baltimore, Maryland, on March 26, 2024. The bridge collapsed early March 26 after being struck by the Singapore-flagged Dali container ship, sending multiple vehicles and people plunging into the frigid harbor below. There was no immediate confirmation of the cause of the disaster, but Baltimore’s Police Commissioner Richard Worley said there was “no indication” of terrorism. (Photo by ROBERTO SCHMIDT / AFP) (Photo by ROBERTO SCHMIDT/AFP via Getty Images)

Officials responsible for overseeing the investigation, are thrust into the spotlight with cameras and microphones stuck in their faces while being asked questions that they could not possibly have the answers for, BEFORE THE SCENE had even had a chance to be properly investigated.

Baltimore Police Commissioner Richard Worley, with Mayor Brandon Scott (R) and Fire Department Chief James Wallace (L), speaks at a press conference on the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge Baltimore, Maryland, on March 26, 2024. The bridge collapsed early March 26 after being struck by a container ship, sending multiple vehicles and up to 20 people plunging into the harbor below. “Unfortunately, we understand that there were up to 20 individuals who may be in the Patapsco River right now as well as multiple vehicles,” Kevin Cartwright of the Baltimore Fire Department told CNN. Ship monitoring website MarineTraffic showed a Singapore-flagged container ship called the Dali stopped under the bridge. (Photo by Jim WATSON / AFP) (Photo by JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images)

Add in an election year president who wants to show the American people that he is thoughtful and responsive to such a major tragedy: before an investigation can be conducted to find out who’s responsible, the president steps up and accepts full responsibility for paying for the bridge to be rebuilt.

Huh?

WASHINGTON, DC – MARCH 26: U.S. President Joe Biden delivers remarks on the collapse of Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, Maryland, in the Roosevelt Room of the White House on March 26, 2024 in Washington, DC. The bridge collapsed after its support column was hit by a container ship overnight. According to reports, rescuers are still searching for multiple people, while two survivors have been pulled from the Patapsco River. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)

How about making the owners of the ship, the merchants who have cargo on the ship, and the insurance for the ship and those merchants pay for the bridge!

BALTIMORE, MARYLAND – MARCH 26: In an aerial view, cargo ship Dali is seen after running into and collapsing the Francis Scott Key Bridge on March 26, 2024 in Baltimore, Maryland. Rescuers are searching for at least seven people, authorities say, while two others have been pulled from the Patapsco River. (Photo by Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)

I hope, after some consideration, he has people in his corner that will help him “walk that back”.

Another classic example of ready shoot aim.