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From: barmar@mit-eddie.UUCP (Barry Margolin)
Newsgroups: net.space,net.columbia,net.sf-lovers,net.followup
Subject: Re: Space Shuttle Children's Fund
Message-ID: <86@mit-eddie.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 6-Feb-86 22:56:13 EST
Article-I.D.: mit-eddi.86
Posted: Thu Feb  6 22:56:13 1986
Date-Received: Sat, 8-Feb-86 10:22:43 EST
References: <221@hadron.UUCP> <325@lifia.UUCP> <505@eneevax.UUCP>
Reply-To: barmar@mit-eddie.UUCP (Barry Margolin)
Organization: MIT, Cambridge, MA
Lines: 27
Xref: utcs net.space:5109 net.columbia:2023 net.followup:5567

In article <505@eneevax.UUCP> hsu@eneevax.UUCP (Dave Hsu) writes:
>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.

Hmm, did we create such a trust fund for the families of deceased
draftees in the Viet Nam War?  Or how about the families of Americans
killed by terrorists, who were used as unwitting representatives of the
US.  At least the astronauts died admirably, pursuing their dreams, and
they were aware that there were such risks.

Yes, I was horrified at the disaster.  However, I am bothered by the
fact that the entire country seems to think this is the worst disaster
in history.  Most airline disasters kill more people, and victims of
such accidents generally did not expect trouble, yet we do not agonize
over them.  I do not mean to sound unfeeling, I just wish to be
realistic about this.
-- 
    Barry Margolin
    ARPA: barmar@MIT-Multics
    UUCP: ..!genrad!mit-eddie!barmar