Breaking news-Space Shuttle Columbia lost over Texas

This is pretty tragic stuff folks. My mother has gone into work today on her day off to help out, she works for ABC News. Damn I'm proud of her. She worked on the day that the Challenger exploded, and felt that she should go in today and to what she can to help out. Definitely a sad day for NASA, as they've had a fantastic track record in the last decade. My prayers go out to the families of the victims of this tragedy. Parts of the debris have been found in, I think three or four states, it's amazing.

Color me ignorant, but why is this such a national tragedy? Granted, I do in fact feel for those dead and their families, but what makes this any worse than a serial killer who kills 7 people?

It reminds the mindless that America is far from flawless.

Space shuttle missions, particularly if you grew up in the mid-80s or before, were something that the whole country got behind. NASA, all that, was much more important to people's daily lives back then. So, when you saw or heard about a launch, or thought about astronauts, it all seemed heroic - representative of America, our technological prowess, the country's promise, all that.

That's been sort of lost, I think, or it will be lost soon.

I suppose that answers my question.

Now I need some video of the shuttle falling, instead of this crap Fox keeps playing over and over. See what happens when I wake up at 3? grr

Quote:

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Originally posted by Rich
...but what makes this any worse than a serial killer who kills 7 people?

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It's not worse, just different.

It comes down to symbolism, partially. The seven on the shuttle, in addition to being among the best and brightest, represented the potential of individuals working towards a common good. There wasn't anything shady about their intentions up there; they were scientists, experts, pilots, etc. They were doing a Good Thing, nevermind how increasingly thankless that becomes these days.

Their deaths, on the other hand, put a spotlight on things like how sometimes, despite all planning, things can go very wrong very quickly...

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:( :mad: :bang:

Perhaps the symbolism is becoming increasingly lost on my generation, but, it didn't strike me as particularly tragic. There are plenty of people serving the country in various capacities all the time that get killed, and no one even cares. Fact is, the people involved knew that there was risk involved, that's just the way things go sometimes.

Quote:

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Originally posted by Apokryphos
Perhaps the symbolism is becoming increasingly lost on my generation, but, it didn't strike me as particularly tragic.

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I think it's just you.

*shrug*

It would much more callous for me to think of the tragedy it is that so much of our tax dollars have paid for what is essentially flaming wreckage. Fact is, I didn't even know we had a shuttle in space until this thread was posted.