Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84 SMI; site sun.uucp
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!bellcore!decvax!decwrl!sun!rmarti
From: rmarti@sun.uucp (Bob Marti)
Newsgroups: net.space,net.columbia
Subject: Re: Space Shuttle Children's Fund
Message-ID: <3218@sun.uucp>
Date: Tue, 4-Feb-86 12:43:51 EST
Article-I.D.: sun.3218
Posted: Tue Feb  4 12:43:51 1986
Date-Received: Fri, 7-Feb-86 20:12:02 EST
Distribution: net
Organization: Sun Microsystems, Inc.
Lines: 30
Xref: watmath net.space:5599 net.columbia:2084

In article <505@eneevax.UUCP> Dave Hsu @ Imperial Widget Research Center,
Kingdom of Maryland writes:

>   In article <325@lifia.UUCP> felix@lifia.UUCP (Francois Felix INGRAND)
>   writes:
>>
>>	Is the Social Budget of USA so poor that American people must create
>>	a fund for the astronauts' children?
>
>   [flame on, 104%]
>   The shape of our `Social Budget' is completely irrelevant to the creation
>   of a fund for the families of deceased astronauts.  They sacrificed their
>   private lives just to pursue the common dream of all mankind to explore;
>   in the end they parted with much more than their privacy and it just so
>   happens that some of us who remain earthbound feel the need to thank the
>   unseen families behind our most visible heroes.
>
>   Perhaps you are unfamiliar with such things, Monsieur Ingrand, but here
>   in the United States we like to take care of our own.

Well, wait a minute ...   I was under the impression that the fund for the
astronauts' families was primarily established because it is obviously almost
impossible for astronauts to get life insurance.  Now I know you Americans
don't like to be criticized, but I think that Francois does have a point:
To me it looks like you guys spend billions of dollars on space flights,
but it seems you don't even make sure that the people who are sticking their
necks out have decent insurance.  Surely something could have been done about
that on the government level a long time ago.  Or am I missing something?

-- Bob Marti