Bridge Building

Bridges play a very important role in our lives. Over the years, there has been much written and spoken about bridges. There are highly touted seminars everyday that focus on "bridging the gap." We even had Simon and Garfunkel sing about the topic with the song Bridge Over Troubled Waters. One of my favorite bridges in the world is the one that no longer exists but was the topic for the movie Bridge Over the River Kwai. Bridges are architectural phenomenas. There's the Golden Gate Bridge, the Brooklyn Bridge, and the bridge that has recently garnered more attention than all others, The Bridge to Nowhere.<br /> <br /> Bridges serve as a vital link from one place to another; so much so that without them, it would be impossible to bring the two sides together. We are in need of a new bridge that must be constructed in order to bring our country back to the communicative and cohesive fashion that is necessary for our nation to prosper. While thankfully, the Bridge to Nowhere was never actually built, the Bridge to Somewhere must be built and construction must start immediately.<br /> <br /> We've actually had plans for such a bridge drawn up many times. Those plans have been used in discussions that talked about reaching across the great divide, or in political speak across the aisle, to invite conversation and dialogue to those who are perhaps a bit more liberal or conservative minded than others. The premise, at least in the planning stages, has always been well received. President Reagan, who was perhaps the last "Bridge Builder" who actually tried to follow up on bridge construction, did a wonderful job of laying out the plans for a bridge that could create a pathway from one side of the issue to the other. During past campaign seasons, several former candidates have been quick to wipe the dust off of the bridge blueprints. Those ideas were, as they always have been, accepted as a great way to break up the gridlock that is apparently not present on any issue that comes up.<br /> <br /> Unfortunately, once candidates are actually elected the plans wind up back on a shelf as dust gatherers, and they remain untouched until another campaign season comes around. This is when the dust is once again blown off and the plans are brought out again for nothing more that another show and tell adventure. Well, the next election cycle is now here. And not only do we need to get the plans out; they need to be laid out on the table with guarantees of immediate groundbreaking when the elections are over.<br /> <br /> This will be our chance, and more importantly, perhaps our last great opportunity to finally build this bridge that we have talked about for so long. Many center minded people who have never enjoyed living in the remote villages to the left or to the right of the gap would be thrilled to cross the bridge if they knew the structure was safe and available for the flow of traffic in both directions. As it stands now, without such a bridge, many of them will walk right up to the cliff and that is where any movement must stop. Their only choice is to retreat or to simply dive off into a political abyss. Some have tried to make this great leap of faith over the years but have typically landed with a big splat on the floor of the gorge, never to be heard from again.<br /> <br /> A bridge made of solid ideas and engineering could certainly withstand the weight of any idea that might enter the bridge from the left or right entrance ramp. Allowing ideas to simply enter the bridge does not mean that each of these ideas will be adopted as accepted traffic flow. However, by never allowing the ideas to make the attempt will mean that potential great ideas will simply stand idly by on one side of the other at the ledge. All ideas from the right have not always been great ideas and all ideas from the left have not always been terrible ideas. With a mechanism allowing free flow of traffic from both sides, the great ideas will always make it to the other side no matter where they started.<br /> <br /> And it will not be enough just to build a bridge. It must be a bridge that has the proper support and integrity that is needed for it to withstand the elements that it may be confronted with. We have all seen the disastrous results of bridges, that while aesthetically beautiful, turn into great heaps of junk when stress is applied. As with most things in our lives the bridge must have equal commitment to those things that are both above and below the surface. Nothing is more beautiful than a new and shining bridge as it invites the to and fro travel that has been so long awaited. Nothing is uglier than the site of a crack in one of the supporting columns. A small foundational crack, created by a plan of perceived success rather than a plan of structured success, will leave the divide once again impassible. <br /> <br /> It must also be a multi-lane bridge that allows many ideas to travel at the same time. The left lane and the right lane can travel at the same speed without becoming jammed up. It also needs a lane for independent ideas that are not necessarily comfortable in the extreme lanes to the left or right. And based on what we have seen lately, why not add a refreshment stand at both ends serving up a nice selection of "tea" to make the journey even more interesting. <br /> <br /> What a wonderful bridge it would be. To paraphrase Dr. Seuss, "Oh the places you could go!"

http://accesswdun.com/article/2010/9/232391