Not acknowledging the tragedy of seven people dying in a hideous engineering accident would be like not acknowledging that an Almond Joy contains coconut...only a thousand times worse. It's a speech about a disaster, guys. Of course it's going to be sad. Its entire premise is one of sadness.
Reagan could very well have dwelled on the gruesome details in his "Space Shuttle Challenger Disaster Address" like he owned stock in Kleenex. But instead of being weighed down by it, he accepts the calamity and he rallies the nation together. Through collective mourning, he guides people through heartbreak while looking toward to a bright and exciting future.
Questions About Sadness
- How does President Reagan make public sadness seem personal? What are some examples in the text of the speech?
- Does President Reagan adequately address the extent of the tragedy in this speech? Why or why not?
- The history of human space exploration is darkened by many tragedies. What makes the Challenger disaster different?
- If you were a NASA employee who worked on space shuttle Challenger mission STS-51-L, how might you respond to President Reagan's speech?
Chew on This
President Reagan's speech isn't long enough to adequately address the true extent of the Challenger tragedy and it glosses over the necessary condolences to the crew's grieving families.
The president's address to the nation about the Challenger Disaster was an inspiring public message that genuinely and nobly acknowledged the immense loss of the day.