Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site burl.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!rcj From: rcj@burl.UUCP (Curtis Jackson) Newsgroups: net.columbia Subject: Re: Space Shuttle Children's Fund Message-ID: <997@burl.UUCP> Date: Mon, 3-Feb-86 00:03:39 EST Article-I.D.: burl.997 Posted: Mon Feb 3 00:03:39 1986 Date-Received: Mon, 3-Feb-86 06:28:50 EST References: <221@hadron.UUCP> <387@watmum.UUCP> Reply-To: rcj@burl.UUCP (Curtis Jackson) Organization: AT&T Technologies, Burlington NC Lines: 67 Summary: In article <387@watmum.UUCP> tjsmedley@watmum.UUCP (Trevor J. Smedley) writes: >In article <221@hadron.UUCP> klr@hadron.UUCP (Kurt L. Reisler) writes: >> >> A trust fund has been established by the American Security >> Bank in Washington DC. The funds gathered are to be used >> to provide financial assistance to the children of the 7 >> astronauts killed in the explosion of the space shuttle. >> > >This will probably get me a lot of flames, but here goes; > >I don't understand why this fund was set up. Don't get me wrong, >I feel very sorry for those families, and all involved with the >disaster, but I would be more inclined to send my money somewhere >where it can really help. These kids don't need money. Up to this point right here we agree perfectly. I know how much life insurance NASA private-industry contractors set up for their salaried employees who have to work directly with dangerous things like the ET, main engine testing, and booster testing. It is a *lot*. I assume, I hope correctly, that the astronauts each had healthy insurance policies. I know that Christie MacAuliffe had $1,000,000 at least, because some insurance company made a big PR deal out of presenting her with the policy about a week before the flight. >If it were >me I think I would be insulted by people thinking that they can in >some way make up for the loss of a parent with money. The money >will never bring back their parents, but if it can save some other >child from losing a parent, or save some children from a premature >death, then it will be money well spent. What has our society come >to when we respond to any disaster with money? If one of my parents >died, and someone came up to me with say ten thousand dollars >saying, "I'm sorry, but maybe this will help" I'd hit them, and I am >not a violent person. On the other hand, if my parent had died of >some incurable disease, and that person gave the money to research >to help find a cure for that disease I would never be able to fully >express my gratitude. I would think the families would appreciate >a donation to an important charity made in memory of the astronauts >more than they would the money. The money can help. Take the money graciously and donate it yourself. Donate half the money and use the other half to go on a vacation to try and forget your parent's death. Go somewhere the two of you used to go and remember. Use the money to ensure that the remaining parent is in no financial bind, if necessary. Take the remaining parent away for a while. Use the money to relocate the remaining parent if memories are proving too painful in familiar surroundings. Use the money for yourself, doing something that the deceased parent always wanted to have done or wanted to give you but could never afford it. I know if my father died, I was offered $10,000, and didn't use it for a hellacious party and/or vacation in his honor and invest whatever was left, he'd turn over in his grave. This is the kind of thinking (apparently unorthodox) on my behalf that makes me NOT want to rename this group to net.challenger. I told someone the other day that I wanted to leave money in my will designated specifically for my friends to go somewhere and have a good time and drink one for me. She replied, "But I don't want people to have fun after I die." I don't agree with her, and I don't think the Challenger crew would either. Let's find out what went wrong with Challenger, ensure that it won't happen again, and move forward! -- The MAD Programmer -- 919-228-3313 (Cornet 291) alias: Curtis Jackson ...![ ihnp4 ulysses cbosgd mgnetp ]!burl!rcj ...![ ihnp4 cbosgd akgua masscomp ]!clyde!rcj