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From: wfi@rti-sel.UUCP (William Ingogly)
Newsgroups: net.space,net.columbia,net.sf-lovers,net.followup
Subject: Re: Space Shuttle Children's Fund
Message-ID: <645@rti-sel.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 6-Feb-86 10:25:14 EST
Article-I.D.: rti-sel.645
Posted: Thu Feb  6 10:25:14 1986
Date-Received: Fri, 7-Feb-86 22:54:12 EST
References: <221@hadron.UUCP> <325@lifia.UUCP> <328@lifia.UUCP>
Reply-To: wfi@rti-sel.UUCP (William Ingogly)
Organization: Research Triangle Institute, NC
Lines: 66
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In article <328@lifia.UUCP> felix@lifia.UUCP (Francois Felix INGRAND) writes:

>First my question was serious, I do not know very well the american Social
>System but I feel very sorry too, to think that you have to make a fund to help
>these childrens.

First of all, I'm responding to your comments with my own personal
views and feelings about American society and the reasons why we
do things. You will no doubt find that some or even many Americans
will argue with what I have to say in general or in this particular
instance. 

Whatever the shortcomings and limitations of our current social
welfare programs, the suggestion that a fund be set up for the
children was made in a spirit of compassion for the families
involved and as a living memorial for seven people who seem to
many of us Americans to be heroes. Perhaps we're talking about
cultural differences here, Francois. Americans frequently contribute
to one charity or another when a loved one or a friend's loved one
dies or make a contribution in memory of a national figure. This
is neither right nor wrong, it's simply the way we Americans are.

We don't "have to" set up a fund to help these children because
social welfare programs, insurance, etc. won't provide for their
futures; we choose to set up such a fund and contribute to it as
a celebration of the astronauts' sacrifices and as a celebration
of our solidarity as a people in the face of tragedy.
 
>Second, these childrens, which suffered a great loss indeed, and you could be
>sure that I have sympathy for them, looks for me like the childrens or people
>which loose parents or friends in such a catastrophe. The tomorow of the
>shuttle catastrophe, there were a Airplane Crash in South America: 27 deads...
>Be sure that I have a lot of sympathy for them too. But Medias seem to have
>forgotten them... And American Fund too.

The media in this country pay more attention to the shuttle tragedy
than to the crash in South America because it's more newsworthy to
citizens of our country. I'm sure the South American crash received a
lot of coverage in South American countries. And I'm sure you Frenchmen
provide greater coverage to stories that are of particular interest to
the French people or that touch the French people in a special way.

Human tragedy is human tragedy, whether it happens to national figures
like the astronauts or to the faceless people living in the house down
the street. In spite of the seemingly routine nature of space shuttle
flights, I think many Americans have supported the space program, 
have felt that the peaceful exploration of space is a national
priority, and have viewed the astronauts as ambassador/heroes. So the
death of these seven people touched us in a special way.
 
>Third, Do you really think that it is money that these childrens need?
>Do you really think that sympathy can only be Dollars. Excuse me but I
>feel sorry for you, to see that the only think that you can do for them is to
>make a Fund. I understand that we can make a fund like AFRICA AID, of "LES
>RESTAURANTS DU COEUR" in France. But here, is it the best solution? I doubt.

The creation of a memorial fund, as I've pointed out, springs from an
American tradition of people helping other people at a grass-roots
level. At least that's the way it seems to me as an American citizen
who grew up in the heartland. When a neighbor dies of a heart attack,
you make a contribution to a medical charity that supports research
into heart disease in the neighbor's name. If you think this is
evidence of a meanness of spirit in the American people or a poverty
of solutions, you don't understand what we are as a people.

                         -- Cheers, Bill Ingogly