Johnson Space Center Crisis

I think I speak for all NASA FIRST teams (and all FIRST teams in general) when I say I hope everything turns out OK. Until then, I’m glued to the TV.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/04/20/nasa.gunfire/index.html

Two hostages taken, one dead and one in the hospital now.

What is the world coming to?

Added to the list of people I’m keeping in my thoughts, this is such a trying time right now.

What is going on with the world kills one and then commits suicide. My thoughts and prayers are with everyone from this past week. Everyone stay safe

Incredible, such a crazy week. I think I’m at a loss for words. But I’m going to echo Ryan’s words, everyone stay safe, and stay alert.

This whole thing with wackos lately just reminds me of the the armed robbery at the Xerox Credit union across the street from my office a couple of years ago. One of my coworkers was shot in and killed and the whole campus was under lockedodwn and they still never found the culprits to this day.

What a distrubing society we live in…

Prayers to the victims and the NASA employees.

This is sick. Really sick. People are just crazy. I don’t get it.

There was a female student at Scott Community College that wrote, “Virginia Tech Here, Today” on the wall of a girls bathroom, today (or yesterday, it’s 2:30AM). As a result, school was cancelled for many of my friends and coworkers.

That’s really disturbing. Why is it that the people we are supposed to look up to and trust the most, the ones who supposedly have their heads on straight, are the ones causing the most turmoil?
I too am keeping everyone from the past week in my thoughts and prayers.

Just a thought

I wonder if any of these people ever had the opportunity to be in a program like FIRST. And, if they could have, would they have committed these acts of violence? I personally don’t think so.

This has been a horrible week. My thoughts are with all of them.

What will really scare me is if we end up with someone who was, but didn’t get any of the Gracious Professionalism. Yes, we’re teaching high schoolers to be into technology, but if you have someone unstable on your team… I never want to see one of these with someone who knows how to do some of the things we know.

It’s been a tough week. Yup. And I’ve thought this thought as well. Quickly though, another thought came along. Within our FIRST teams, there is the wonderful combination of mentor and student, mentor and apprentice. Knowledge is shared, most definitely. The added gift is wisdom. Many of our teams work together building robots and also building people with the combination of knowledge and wisdom. There is the development and application of technology and the acts of kindness and compassion that are part of the learning process. Everyone who is introduced to FIRST is introduced to these concepts. In the end, it is up to each individual to take responsibility for his and her actions, that’s true. And each individual has had that opportunity to learn about Gracious Professionalism. It is a cup half full.
Jane