Re: CEV a Step Backwards

in article djloic$7ke$2@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx, Marko Horvat at
marko@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx wrote on 10/25/05 10:04 AM:

> George Evans wrote:
>
>> in article djj49l$6p2$1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx, Marko Horvat at
>> marko@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx wrote on 10/24/05 10:05 AM:
>>
>> <snip>
>>
>>> And life is unique and irreplaceable. Including the lives of Challenger and
>>> Columbia astronauts. And Apollo 1 and Soyuz 1, and all those others who died
>>> in related accidents.
>>>
>> One small disagreement I have with this premise is how certain is it that
>> life is irreplaceable, when it is so commonly understood that it can be
>> exchanged as in "He gave his life for..." Isn't an exchange in some sense a
>> replacement?
>
> George, how many times have you given life for anything? For that matter, any
> of us? Since we are all here posting and reading messages I'd say - just about
> zilch! So I'm totally against that notion... yeah, yeah, go for it, die, die
> bravely for all of us. That's totally insane and unethical - everybody should
> speak for her or himself. To say -- all astronauts died willingly and happily
> for the whole space program -- is totally insane. I'd rather have them say
> that, if they could. That's my bottom line. And period.

All I can say is we are obviously from different generations. Here is a
quote my daughter sent me from college from a man several generations before
us:

"The person who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing which
is more important than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature and
has no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of
better men than himself." -John Stuart Mill

Although this was said in the context of war there the sentiments apply to
other endeavors. Sometimes, to make progress, men must put their lives on
the line. Think what the world would be like if no one ever ventured out on
the sea until their safety was assured. I just hope my daughter's generation
learns to get back on the horse.

George Evans

.

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