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Unread 05-02-2003, 00:35
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Madison Madison is offline
Dancing through life...
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Team Role: Engineer
 
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Oh, it's on.

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Originally posted by John Bono
Alrighty, then. I see that my friend here needs a little backup as he is the only sane thinker here besides the people who choose to abstain from the argument.
Likewise.

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2) Claiming someone to be disrespectful without a sound basis for this accusation is quite a hefty piece of circular logic you use. Not praising the dead people doesn't mean disrespect--nor does putting thier death in proper proportion on the grans scheme of things. They're dead. We understand already. No reason to go running around saying that they were the best people to walk the Earth, and that we should SO remember thier tragic end.
You and your friend have moved on. Congratulations. Don't dare presume you're important enough, intelligent enough, or logical enough to tell people when, how, and for how long they should mourn. That, above all else, is the most disrespectful thing you can ever do to a person.

If you think the deaths of these astronauts is no more or less important than anything else that's going on in your lives, that is your prerogative. However, it is disrespectful, cold, and inconsiderate of you to make any attempt, whatsoever, at invalidating the grieving of another individual.

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3) You're next coherent paragraph has no useful information. Stop wasting our time.
Likewise.

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Trust me, in twenty years, you'll have a hard time remembering the name of the second space shuttle to go boom.
Again, while you may have better things to worry about, there are some people in this world who are genuinely touched by human drama. We're human, after all, and with that comes a number of interesting caveats. We're not perfect. We don't mourn everything, or everyone. We can't. We mourn things that affect us.

If you're not affected by the accomplishments of these astronauts, nor their counterparts, that's fine for you. You're in no place, however, to tell me how I should appreciate, awe, or admonish their work.

In twenty years, I will remember.

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5) The last week of a person's life is rarely encompassing of thier life as a whole. Trying to say that these people are more important than a third of the continent of Africa is ludicrous.
Nobody is saying that. At all. If that's what you want to see, that's what you'll see, as it's the only valid basis you could possibly have for drawing these comparisons out.

No individual is any more than important than another. No group is better than another. No race, color, religion, sex, gender, or baseball team has any advantage over any other.

Sadly, I haven't found the opportunity to glimpse into the lives of so many other people on this planet. I am not saying that, for example, one third of Africa's population has accomplished nothing, is worth nothing, and should die without care nor cause. Instead, I'm arguing that, as a single individual, I'm doing the best I can to touch as many lives as possible and to be touched by even more. I want to know every individual that walks on this planet. I want to hear their stories and see their facial expressions and experience their passion.

Because of this unfortunate accident, I am now familiar with seven more people than I was early Saturday morning, February 1, 2003. I mourn, not only for their passing, but because I won't be given another chance to experience them - as people. Nor will anyone else. Similarly, I am touched by and often feel quite the same way about people from all walks of life.

I am a human, and sometimes, I need to make psychological associations with things before I am affected. Emotion, often, does not withstand the rigorous analysis of logic.

Introduce me to the people of Africa, dying of AIDS; or young, queer youth, dying at the hands of their peers; or firefighters facing uncertain danger for the benefit of people that haven't even met yet. Allow me to spend time amongst writers, and artists, and musicians. Give me those opportunities and I'll mourn each of their deaths with the same intensity and passion that I do these seven astronauts. Give me those opportunities and I'll celebrate their lives and achievements just as I do these seven astronauts.

Don't dare tell me, however, that my mourning and sorrow is misplaced, nor that my celebration and amazement is without merit. These were amazing people, as all of us can be. These people may have been doing routine work on a routine shuttle mission, as it has become routine. But, though it hadn't captured our imagination with the same level of excitement that it did at the beginning of the space program, I doubt their work was any less influential, any less rewarding, and any less dangerous. The risks didn't decrease, but they changed.

Mourn their death, celebrate their life, and follow in their footsteps. Do something that makes life better. It doesn't need to be a science experiment on a spacecraft, really. Make someone smile once a day. That'll make a world of difference on its own.

By giving the deaths of thousands less publicity than the deaths of seven astronauts, or by mourning the deaths of seven astronauts openly, we do not seek to invalidate the experience and contribution of anyone else. Instead, we seek to bring awareness and hope to those who have none. We hope that their loss wasn't in vain and that their spirit is awakened inside all of us.

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And I highly disagree with the whole--lest's not argue on the main board. It's called a forum for a reason. If more than two people want to debate the issue, it's a hell of a lot more efficient than starting a PM circular. It's not like you don't have free time to debate this issue if you have enough time to try to brag about your team's memorial service.
I'm always up for debate. It's healthy and stimulating so long as people can concisely elucidate their position.

Our team's memorial service consists of honoring these astronauts' commitment to expanding the horizons of the human race. We shall display their Mission Patch proudly, not because they accomplished any amazing feat for humanity by their own accord or because they were family or friends, but because they carried with them the spirit of exploration and education and interrogation that drives our efforts forward. For that, we thank them.

Thank you, NASA. Thank you, Columbia. Not only do we remember your seven souls, but we remember our own. We remember your past so that we may move bravely forward into our future.
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--Madison--

...down at the Ozdust!

Like a grand and miraculous spaceship, our planet has sailed through the universe of time. And for a brief moment, we have been among its many passengers.
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