Hey all........today is the one year aniversarry of the tragedy that was Columbia. They gave their lives in the name of science and died as heroes. and in my mind, they will always be heroes:

Commander Rick D. Husband: Husband, 45, made his second trip into space. The U.S. Air Force colonel and mechanical engineer piloted a shuttle flight in 1999, which included the first docking with the international space station.

Pilot William C. McCool: The 40-year-old former test pilot made his first foray into space. The U.S. Navy commander and Naval Academy graduate was responsible for maneuvering the shuttle as part of several experiments.

Payload Commander Michael P. Anderson: Anderson, 42, went into orbit once before, a 1998 shuttle flight that docked with the Russian space station Mir. The U.S. Air Force lieutenant colonel and physicist was responsible for the shuttle science mission.

Mission Specialist David M. Brown: The U.S. Navy captain made his first flight into space. Brown, 46, an aviator and flight surgeon, was working on many experiments, including numerous biological ones.

Mission Specialist Kalpana Chawla: Born in India in 1961, Chawla earned an aerospace engineering doctorate from the University of Colorado in Boulder. Chawla, who has logged more than 375 hours in space, was the prime robotic arm operator on a shuttle flight in 1997.

Mission Specialist Laurel Clark: Clark, 41, a U.S. Navy commander and flight surgeon, was making her first flight into space. A medical school graduate of the University of Wisconsin, Madison, Clark was taking part in a variety of biological experiments.

Payload Specialist Iian Ramon: Ramon, 47, is the first Israeli astronaut. A colonel and former fighter pilot in the Israeli air force, he saw combat experience in the Yom Kippur War in 1973 and the Lebanon War in 1982.

Thank you for showing your respect cowboy4ever. I remember that day. It was a saturday if I'm not mistaken. I can remeber seeing alot of debris flying around where I live in Texas.

I also remember alot of reports on the story. At one point there were about 19 different channels airing the same program. It was a sad day, and we should remember it always.

It's gone so quick,i pay all my repect to thoose onboard

thanks for bring that to my attention cowboy ... i have a great respect for them all

Okay, I think the Columbia accident was horrible. Sorry it happened.

But it isn't fair that when 7 people die, you consider it a national tradgedy.

When 70 construction workers die from a construction accident, does everyone go "omg national tradgedy"?

No, they don't, because people don't care. They just pretend to care.
People watch the news, go to school/work and say, "aww, that's so sad"
How many of those people go home and actually care? like 1%.

Besides that, people die everyday from starvation. Are you mourning for them? No.
So 7 people die, everyone cries and it makes history.
Thousands of people die everyday in third world countries, but no one calls that a tradgedy and puts it on the news.

Those people knew they were risking their lives. There are lots of people who risk their lives to do their job, but you call this a national tradgedy, because they were going to space.

Their life was no more important than anyone elses. It's not like they went up against their will.

yes man, you have a valid point there.

after living in Israel for 8 years (more than half my life) losing Ramon is a national tragedy (for Israel)

I agree with you 100%

so you're saying that it is wrong to mourn the death of people?

No, it's the fact that nobody ever takes into consideration the people that die everyday in tragedies... the people that died on columbia should be mourned for, it's the right thing to do, paying respect to the dead. However, what about the people that die from construction accidents, police and fire fighter accidents, millitary deaths, and other high risk jobs? They also do good for the country, but are never fully recognized if they give there lives to there jobs. They only get a "blip" on t.v., never an aniversary mark.

Maybe it's just that it takes a large tragedy to mark a historical event.

Just a thought...

but then maybe it's the rarety that astronauts die. You never really hear about that, so when they do die, it makes big news. but Military personel die everyday and construction workers, and it is just not as rare.

So YOU'RE saying if tons of them die, it makes it okay?

How many people die in plane crashes? VERY little. A plane crash is very rare. Sure a plane crash makes it in the news, but do they get another mourning a year later on the news? Nope, everyone forgets, because no one truly cares.

Besides, I don't think that has anything to do with it. I think it has to do with the fact that a lot of people feel an austronauts life is more important than a construction workers, simply because of their job.

That's fine, mourn the dead. Pay respects.

But don't treat them special because they spent a year of their life training to go into space.

It wasn't like it was 7 innocent people getting slaughtered by a terrorist.
They chose to go into space.
They accepted the risks.
The space shuttle exploded. It's a sad story, but no one made them go up.

So my main point is this:
If you're going to mourn, mourn everyone equally. It's not a fair to put one person up in lights because they died on a space shuttle, or because they're on TV.

The same thing holds true for that one person (usually happens about once a year) who gets kidnapped and makes it onto the news. Tons of people get kidnapped and killed, but there's always that one little girl who makes it on the news, and her family gets TONS of extra help. While they other families just have themselves.

But fairness doesn't even matter compared to caring in general. If you're going to mourn, mourn because you care, not because you think everyone will think of you as a sensitive person.

The overall scheme of it is that we should stop mourning about things and move on. And that so much media shouldn't be focused on 7 people dying, rather the thousands dying from other, bigger issues, that can be prevented or stopped.

So like I said, a space shuttle exploding is truly sad, and I feel sorry for their families.

But you're not mourning for the family who's 2 sons died in a car crash last year, are you? Would you consider that a national tradgedy?

Think about it.

By the way, glad I'm not alone on this. Heh.

Nice to know some other people think the same way.

How about a moment for the seven students from Strathcona-Tweedsmuir School who were killed in an avalanche a year ago yesterday?

Sketches of the seven avalanche victims

Canadian Press

The seven Calgary-area teenagers killed in an avalanche Saturday, February 1, 2003, in British Columbia were a talented group of young people. All were students at Strathcona-Tweedsmuir school.

Ben Albert
Attending Strathcona Tweedsmuir on scholarship. Described as very conscientious with an incredible work ethic. Member of the volleyball team.

Daniel Ararto
Known for juggling while riding his unicycle in the annual Terry Fox run. Described as eccentric with a great sense of humour. Older brother graduated from the school.

Scott Broshko
On school teams for badminton, volleyball, basketball and track. Played trumpet in the school's jazz and concert bands.

Alex Pattillo
An artist who performed in many of the school's musicals. Described as a gentle child who was well-liked. Three older siblings graduated from the school.

Michael Shaw
Member of the junior basketball and volleyball teams. An accomplished sailor who often shared interesting stories with his classmates.

Marissa Staddon
Attending Strathcona-Tweedsmuir on scholarship. Competed at junior national figure skating competition, often climbed mountains with her father.

Jeff Trickett
Honours student, described as witty, a superb musician and sportsman. His older brother and sister graduated from the school.

SOURCE: Strathcona-Tweedsmuir School