TomR,

I feel much the same and concur with your thoughts. Below is a post that I recently made on CandlePowerForums.com that touches on the subject.

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Most sadly, once again mankind has been reminded that Mother Nature and Murphy's Law both seem to have a penchant for allowing us to become too complacent in going about our daily lives, then, alas, very graphically and painfully, pointing out our weaknesses by pointing out that every advance in mans exploration of the amazing world and universe in which we live has required tolls to be paid in the quest for knowedge.

Despite the platitudes of and for, the PHRASECENSOREDPOSTERSHOULDKNOWBETTER., their herders, the rampant rumor mongering, the media misdirection, smoke and mirrors of what the government can and can't/won't tell us about what did or did not happen, as well as the other naysayers, the cold hard fact remains . . . without the benefits derived from mankinds continual "pushing the envelope" of knowledge and technology, the world today would be a much sadder and dimmer place to live.

As a kid, I grew up vicariously living the space age, read all I could, and stayed glued to the black & white TV watching Walter Cronkite on the news during the space shots of the 60's, cried when the launchpad fire occurred, thrilled to see the men on the moon, shared in our collective deep pain from Challenger disaster, was thrilled to see Americans in space again after the shuttle program was restarted, and sadly, today, shared in the world's grief first thing this morning.

Our trials and tribulations only temper our resolve to go on, and force us to strive harder. We will continue, there will be investigations, theories will abound, fingers will be pointed, blamesharing will occur, there will be delays, BUT EVENTUALLY, OUT OF ALL OF THIS WILL COME BETTER EQUIPMENT, PROCEDURES, FAIL SAFES AND CONTIGENCY PLANNING.

Let us not loose sight that we WILL move ahead, and that the world will be better for it. We will not let those who lost their lives in mans exploration of his world and universe die in vain.

It will only be by putting our collective heads in the sand in a gravely stupid and irresponsible attempt to hide from reality, will those deaths be in vain.

I have the utmost admiration for those explorers in our lives, those that defend our way of life and peace in the world, who are put in harms way each day, ranging from the average person on the street that steps into the the path of a vehicle and to save a child, the volunteers that do lifeguard duty, the volunteer and paid fire and police department staff, and the armed services.

The seven who lost their lives today will be dearly missed by their friends and family, and the only thing aside from sharing our compassion as human beings and fellow travelers on spaceship earth for their loss that we can do, is to MAKE SURE THAT THEY DID NOT DIE IN VAIN BY ROADBLOCKING AND/OR RUNNING AWAY FROM THE SPACE PROGRAM.

This morning, there were seven new lights in our sky. We will follow in their paths.

My family and I join the world in offering sincere expressions of sympathy and condolences to families and friends whose lives are most directly affected in this tragedy.

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Respectfully,
Comanche7 (aka Lighthouse) & family