Brian+Vital

My name is Brian Vital, and I am a junior at Medaille College. I am majoring in education and love to help children. I currently am a pitcher on the Medaille baseball team. When I'm not at school or baseball, I am at home spending time with my grilfriend, and her puppy. I love playing and watching all sports. Another interest I have beyond sports, is that I am a huge movie buff. I have over 200 DVD's and have seen nearly every movie known to humans. I live in MA during the summer months, and love to play with my Golden Retriever when I'm there.  __Bridges of Opportunity __  Bridges, you see them everywhere, and don’t think twice about them. Bridges are within every state in the United States, and can be seen all over the world. Bridges are the most essential man made infrastructural feature. Bridges create a route where nature did not want us to be. Bridges are so important because they often connect countries together, they help enable transportation, and better the economy. Bridges are also built conceptually through communication. If bridges were to never be invented who knows what allies would be enemies.  Often times when countries infiltrate another territory, the first thing they destroy are bridges. This is for good reason. Take this in perspective; the A-Squad invades B-Squad, whose territory is an island. If A-Squad destroyed the B-Squads only means onto the island (bridge). The B-Squad would be trapped. Bridges are essential to the battlefield, but are also destroyed because countries rely on bridges for transportation, and to help transport goods.  Bridges often connect countries. There is a bridge located in Western New York, connects Buffalo, New York and Ontario. This bridge is a great architectural feat and runs over the Niagara River. The name of this bridge is the Peace Bridge. Thousands of people drive over this bridge everyday and hear the word peace and think what a nice name. But the bridges name is more than just a nice name. It resembles a bridge between two separate nations. It reminds people of how close we are to Canada. It resembles the relationship we have with Canada. The Peace Bridge is a peaceful suspension than connects countries not only physically but also spiritually.  Before the Peace Bridge was built, travelers struggled to cross over the Niagara River. Imagine today if you were driving on the 190 and arrived to a marina, boarded a boat, and crossed the Niagara River. The bridge eliminated the hassle and lengthiness of crossing over a landmark feature. This is the case of any bridge, if it is from a rickety old fence from one ledge to another or if it is the Golden Gate Bridge. Before any bridge was ever built, there was an alternative route. Every bridge is built to enable humans to cross where nature has told us not to.  In the same aspect, where bridges cut time they increase profit. In any business aspect where you can cut off time, you make more profit. Rather than shipping through a ship, exporters can ship to other countries or lands; that were never shipped to before bridges. In the times before bridges, moving goods was not only more expensive than now but more dangerous. Crossing in the past, could have lead to lost goods due to rapids, and possible shipwrecks.  If the United States were at war, there are several bridges that would be targets. The Peace Bridge would most definitely be a target. If there was a country that invaded the US, they would dismantle the Peace Bridge. By taking down the Peace Bridge, they would stop easy transportation in an out of the country. Not only for civilians but for Canadian forces as well, if we were in need. In the legendary movie __The Bridge on the River Kwai__, the US and English forces aimed to destroy an essential bridge that POW’s and Japanese forces built. The scene where the bridge is blown up is legendary for so many reasons, and was destroyed for its vitality to the Japanese side. The interstate 35W Bridge which collapsed in Minnesota back in 2007, is still causing dramatic effects on, the states towns people, and the state’s resourcefulness. Though this bridge was not destroyed intentionally, the aftermath could be similar. Bridges can also be seen in a more intangible way. When reading the story by Roberts Levitow; Roadblocks and Bridges, I thought Levitow was talking beyond physical structures. “On September 11, 2001 my people had been attacked, and I had been surrounded by the compassion of my African friends and colleagues, who taught me that in Africa when a member of the village is in mourning, the whole village cries.” At this part of Levitow’s experience an emotional bridge was built. She had a bridge of good feeling and a bridge with the people of the African village. Due to that bridge, Levitow did not have to be alone that day.  Bridges are also built on other mental situations. Each time you make a new friend a bridge is being built as you introduce yourself. Once friends, there is now a new bridge that is constructed that resembles your new found friendship with that person. Bridges unite and connect people both cognitively and physically. If bridges were never founded, where would we all be. Everyone has experienced a mental bridge or has crossed a physical bridge. Bridge is a term with so much and many meanings on all levels. There are countless wars that countries have won by utilizing their importance. Bridges are all around us, and if any were destroyed, you would feel the negative effects. Bridges have changed the world.   Works Cited  Levitow, Roberts. "Roadblocks and Bridges." __Writing the World in Globalization__. Ed. David Rothenberg and Wandee J. Pryor. Cambridge: Terra Nova, 2005. __<span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 200%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif'">The Bridge on the River Kwai __<span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 200%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif'">. Dir. David Lean. Perf. William Holden, Alec Guiness. DVD. 1957. <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black; LINE-HEIGHT: 200%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-themecolor: text1">