Media and the shuttle
I’ve tried to stay away from the media today—all of the news I’ve gotten has come through the web. As a result, I haven’t experienced the media frenzy first-hand. However, while doing a little shopping in the physical world I’ve run into stores that have had TV sets on and coverage of the shuttle disaster seems to have been playing all day ad nauseum. I can see how you would be getting sick of it.
Although I’m cynical about the media’s motives, I can understand why folks are especially affected by these seven deaths and the circumstances in which they happened. For many people, the space program represents the grandest, most inspiring adventure we overdeveloped apes have yet undertaken. The space program in general, and the shuttle in particular, signify optimism and a spirit of discovery that is rare in our world of greed, war, and fear. To see a part of that “great adventure” literally come crashing to the ground in flames is disheartening.
Don’t worry. A few of days from now we’ll go back to getting bombarded with the latest on how the ramp-up to the Iraqi war is going. Now that is something to be sick of.
