The Star of Bethlehem has been removed from the L Blast Furnace, and its fate is uncertain ("Sparrows Pt. furnace imploded," Jan. 29). I remember driving to work on those dark, cold winter mornings before sunrise and the star would come into view atop the furnace. The radio would crackle with traffic and weather reports. Minus-5 degrees wind chill, not a problem. I would cut the heat in the car back preparing to face the cold work day. Worried? Fearing the cold? No way, we were steel men, tough as the product we shaped and bent for the world to use. The star was a testament to our faith in God, country and family, and those were the reasons we made the trek every day into one of the toughest work environments in the world. Safety first as much as possible, but still dangerous. We learned early on we were not working in a pie factory. We were steel men.
The American steel industry, along with many other industries, is gone. I don't see it coming back. The older steelworkers told us about the World War II years and how the steel mills and shipyard of Sparrow's Point hummed with activity 24/7. If we face a crisis like World War II again, will our sagging industrial base be prepared to respond? If you are a young person just graduating high school, I don't envy you. It will be your generation that saves this country, if it is not already too late. Like the imperiled Star of Bethlehem, we can't know if America's star is rising or setting. It is a daunting task your generation has been handed, but this country is worth fighting for. You have my support and my prayers.
Bob Lari, Nottingham