Sen. Smith was referring to the tragic sinking of the Titanic when he talked about "this sort of thing," not the journey/adventure itself. We don't "celebrate" the loss of life that sometimes occurs. We mourn for a while, we remember, and we do our level best as a people to ensure that it doesn't happen again. But unfortunately, it always does and always will.
It's not that we shouldn't build big ships -- we must! It's that we'll never have a sea full of USS Titanics
(nitpick ON)
Royal Mail Steamer (RMS) Titanic. The designation (also known as Royal Mail Ship by some) was a mark of distinction used to refer to specific British flag ships that met certain standards of speed and quality.
HMS (His/Her Majesty's Ship) designates British warships, USS (United States Ship) designates Men o' War of the United States, and USNS (United States Naval Ship) designates non-combatant ships flying the American flag.
(nitpick OFF)
It is a great and true of the US culture that we ARE indeed fond of preserving life and put great stock in it.
Absolutely correct, which is why these Columbia threads bring out the best (and sometimes the worst) in all of us. Couldn't have said it better.