Challenger Anniversary

Today, in 1986, the Challenger space shuttle exploded, with social studies teacher Christa McAuliffe on board. All because of the "o-ring." Do you remember hearing for weeks about an o-ring? I'm still not sure exactly what it is.

Our gym teacher had been a finalist, a fact that she had kept silent until the school assembly later that day. We watched the explosion on TV, although it took a few days to really understand what this all meant. A summary done by one better than I can be found here.

Things are more like they are now than they ever were before.

--Dwight D. Eisenhower

The New Deal hit the ground running, only to stumble under the fear that the financial burden was too great, and once put in the check the critics stepped aside and let the New Dealer work his job-creating-crisis-averting magic. Unlike today's critics, those critical of FDR wouldn't have dared to call Roosevelt unconstitutional. (See: "Criticism of Obama Mirrors That of FDR," by Elizabeth Tandy Shermer)

When did our elected officials forsake class for talking points?

Now what?

The new Congressional session about to begin, we are reminded about those seats lost because of the changes in counted populations. The 2010 census, which determine where the numbers necessitated more or fewer representatives, was not exactly representative. Not at all, in fact, when taking into account Sarah Palin and Michelle Bachmann's call to forget to be counted. Linking census to Japanese internment camps and the FBI? Really?

One must ask, if the Census helps represent the people, giving us power, those elected officials who called for people to ignore filling out their forms, well...whom do they really wish to represent? In another ten years, are we going to have to go through the same debate, to be counted or to refuse proper repsentation?

Just a thought.