Statement by President Bush (on loss of space shuttle Columbia)

Spaceflight Now ^

[McGruff]

My fellow Americans, this day has brought terrible news and great sadness to our country. At 9:00 a.m. this morning, Mission Control in Houston lost contact with our Space Shuttle Columbia. A short time later, debris was seen falling from the skies above Texas. The Columbia is lost; there are no survivors.

On board was a crew of seven: Colonel Rick Husband; Lt. Colonel Michael Anderson; Commander Laurel Clark; Captain David Brown; Commander William McCool; Dr. Kalpana Chawla; and Ilan Ramon, a Colonel in the Israeli Air Force. These men and women assumed great risk in the service to all humanity.

In an age when space flight has come to seem almost routine, it is easy to overlook the dangers of travel by rocket, and the difficulties of navigating the fierce outer atmosphere of the Earth. These astronauts knew the dangers, and they faced them willingly, knowing they had a high and noble purpose in life. Because of their courage and daring and idealism, we will miss them all the more.

All Americans today are thinking, as well, of the families of these men and women who have been given this sudden shock and grief. You're not alone. Our entire nation grieves with you. And those you loved will always have the respect and gratitude of this country.

The cause in which they died will continue. Mankind is led into the darkness beyond our world by the inspiration of discovery and the longing to understand. Our journey into space will go on.

In the skies today we saw destruction and tragedy. Yet farther than we can see there is comfort and hope. In the words of the prophet Isaiah, "Lift your eyes and look to the heavens. Who created all these? He who brings out the starry hosts one by one and calls them each by name. Because of His great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing."

The same Creator who names the stars also knows the names of the seven souls we mourn today. The crew of the shuttle Columbia did not return safely to Earth; yet we can pray that all are safely home.

May God bless the grieving families, and may God continue to bless America.

[NonValueAdded]

Video and Audio now up at the White House web page here

[dixierose]

"The crew of the shuttle Columbia did not return safely to Earth; yet we can pray that all are safely home.

I cried when he said this. I thought it was beautiful.

[Darlin']

Yes, indeed, and thank you for reminding me. With God's blessing both nations will be strengthened by this terrible tragedy.

"Though much is taken, much abides; and though
We are not now that strength which in old days
Moved earth and heaven, that which we are, we are --
One equal temper of heroic hearts,
Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will
To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield." -Alfred, Lord Tennyson, Ulysses

[aquaEm~]

President Bush anticipating confrontation w/ Iraq, did a GREAT job 2d in his speech with the focus on Columbia & Crew

[Right_in_Virginia]

Screw those a$$holes at DU. It was a wonderful speech.

OMG..WHAT did they find to ridicule about the President's statement?

Was his comfort too much for them? ~ Or did the President's faith upset them?

[Xenalyte]

OMG..WHAT did they find to ridicule about the President's statement? Was his comfort too much for them? ~ Or did the President's faith upset them?

Let's see here . . .

"He can't keep his superstitious, mindless religious belief system to himself? He has to shove our face into it at every possible moment? He can't keep his mouth shut?"

"He had an almost panicked look on his face. Real shook up. I'll bet he didn't figure on all of this tough stuff when he schemed his way into the white house."

"Expression were so tranqilized, but I got right up to my 31 inch screen and his pupils were dialated to the size of dimes and he was blinking his eyes so rapidly that I thought he was going to lift off...."

"They use Ritalin on him . . . they sneak it into his JD."

"I just can't stomach seeing video images of him, stills are bad enough - but I can't imagine someone so cold and so self-absorbed crying about anything, except perhaps at having to curb his alcohol intake while in public. Speaking of which, I imagine he'll return to Camp David tonight to really tie one on. He had a rough day, having his holiday disturbed and such."

"I got up within 2 feet of a 31 inch television to see his eyes and there was not even a liquid glaze on the surface of his eye, All there was were pupils with a thin line of iris around it. He was blinkining so frantically that nay tears would have been running all over his face if he had been teary eyed. The blinking was the kind caused by extremely dry eyes from medication, or contact lenses. "

"I think that the preaching and Biblical quotations were just another way to pander to the religious right. He didn't look like he meant what he said, or was even aware of what he was saying."

"Just bizarre, which seems par for the course with this incredible imbecile."

"It was so rehearsed and so dead, no human response at all. The extensive biblical quote was quite offensive to me. He sounded more like a preacher than a president."

"I actually felt moved when I heard Reagan after the Challenger blew up, but this was bland, banal, and emotionless."

[Xenalyte]

BTW, those are unedited.

[aquaEm~]

anddd...if GW didn't speak to t/ tragedy..they'd still have complaints

[Timesink]

What I meant to say is that it will be difficult for Garrison Kiellor and Prarie Home Companion to do their annual joke show tonight.

You think Garrison Keillor has anything but contempt for those astronauts? The joke show is taking place right now as scheduled.

[Xenalyte]

anddd...if GW didn't speak to t/ tragedy..they'd still have complaints

Oh, they were all hot and bothered that it took him five hours to speak. Many maintained that if Big Billy were still president, he'd have stopped what he was doing to offer our nation's condolences.

[Trouble North of the Border]

God bless George W. Bush.

God bless America in this sad and tragic event.

[billorites]

"The joke show is taking place right now as scheduled. "

I know. I'm trying to laugh, but the laughs aren't coming.

[vortigern]

It is truly sad, that in a time of national tragedy, the hate-filled DU crowd can't get over their insane hate for GW. They are vermin. They are evil. I have nothing but total disgust for them. God bless our President and God bless those who lost their lives over the skies of Texas this morning. DU can go to hell.

[Miss Marple]

You know what occurs to me? The President is really trying, in every circumstance, to be the President that the nation expects and needs. He is trying so hard to do what is right...and those clymers at DU don't see it at all.

God bless President Bush, who is a far better leader than this country deserves.

[Timesink]

Amusing DU thread where they're all turning on each other.

[abclily]

People actually made those statements today?

[Right_in_Virginia]

I am heart-sick and speechless.

Tomorrow...I will be angry.

[Sonar5]

A Memorial I did this morning in Photoshop.

I am using this for my desktop. Feel free to use it or post
it anywhere you like.

The Background was taken by Digital Camera from this
shuttle mission.

The rest of the pics are from Nasa's website.

There is a larger version on my website here:

http://home.attbi.com/~Sonar5/Shuttle/memorial-sts-107.jpg


Regards,
Joe

[section9]

People actually made those statements today?

Yes, abclily, the little men actually think that way.

They make the signal mistake of judgeing character by political affiliation. Thus, anything can become conspiracy or a show play for a far larger moral event that can be twisted or interpreted to their liking.

So they say Bush is on Ritalin, or he's coming off a Jack Daniel's bender, or he's pushing religion in their face. And they say these things after watching a solemn, serious George W. Bush on camera, a man who once again proved that he was up to the task of leading the nation through trial.

That's how these people think. You have to understand something about these folks. Only people with no ethical standards to speak of can really think as they do. These people, at bottom, don't believe in anything save power alone. Not honor. Not virtue. Not character. Nothing.

That's why they liked Clinton so much. Bill allowed them to believe in one thing, him, without having to believe in anything else! Call it a cheap, dimestore personality cult.

These folks are fast approaching the point at which they will either fall for the romance of the Brown Shirt or the mindlessness of nihilism.

That's what happens when the center cannot hold.

Be Seeing You,

Chris

[laurav]

It took me a long time to figure out what "BFEE" meant on DU. I figured the first two letters ("Bush Family") but did not understand the "Evil Empire" last bit until some helpful poster clued everyone in. Boy am I glad I learned something today. That was an amusing thread.