A little controversy

[lone ranger]

In my best John Wayne, humming in the background.

"You're wrong there!

They aren't forgotten because they haven't died.
They're living. Right out there.

And they'll keep on living as long as the Regiment lives.

They're faces may change, and the names.
But they are there.

They are the Regiment.

The Regular Army.

Now and Fifty years from now."

Seriously, the public may forget. But the soldiers that fought and died with them will never forget. And the new Privates that serve ten years from now will learn, and also won't forget.

And in the end that is all that matters.

[Mike Tx]

The soldiers were flying helicopters on a very dangerous training mission in Hawaii. They crashed and all were lost. Dale Earnhart dies about the same time, he had the best equipment money could buy, his children are wealthy, his wife is wealthy, and they will never want for anything.

The point of posting this is to say that while I would not take anything away from Earnhart, the soldiers that died that day were barely making minimum wage, they left behind infant children who will never know their father, and were most likely flying aircraft that needed repair. The public never even knew their names, nor apparently, do they care.

The street named after him I refer to was in Texas at the speedway.

[FLLawdog]

I don't know about up there, but down here it got beaucoup attention because it was in Daytona (I'm less than an hour away) and the "Gator", an indie newspaper who sued over release of the pictures.

I think the attention shifted for a few reasons, but the biggest, I believe, is because it was something new and a celebrity was involved. There was some great video and it unfolded right in front of millions of fans, much like both shuttle disasters, which also made it more appealing to the mass media.

The soldiers, while still a great loss, didn't have the same "ummph".

[Traffic_Goddess]

LawDog....
It wasn't so much the street being named after him then it was the nationwide attention and some of the over-the-top things that went on. We had a number of US soldiers that died doing their duties to protect us during the week that Earnhart was killed and they barely rated a few seconds on a newscast.
I find that a sad commentary on our society.

[FLLawdog]

For those who took exception to a street being named after Earnhardt, remember that was in his hometown. Most hometowns will name streets after local celebrities, whether the rest of the world knows them or not. Most cities also have streets named after major dignitaries, too. I think MLK leads the pack in that distinction. Kennedy would be close.

[PelicanDriver]

The shuttle trajedy being replayed on TV over and over is undoubtedly one reason why it gets more attention than soldiers in Afganistan. In part it gets more coverage because they have a visual to use on TV.

But another reason may be that the shuttle has become routine and seems so safe. They were even planning on sending another teacher on a mission. When an activity that seems safe, and represents the height of technological accomplishment, ends in disaster, it grabs our attention more.

The death of soldiers in Afganistan, or wherever, is no less tragic and they are no less heroic. But, there are many more of them and casualties are expected in war. It isn't thought of as a safe activity. Therefore it is less unexpected. I do hope our govt takes better care of this next group of vets than they did after Gulf I.

[Traffic_Goddess]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Mike Tx:
Dale Earnhart has a street named after him.

---

That ****ed me off...I noticed that no one seemed to care about the US soldiers that died during the same time period...doing their duty.

[ 04-04-2003, 09:14 PM: Message edited by: Frank Booth ]

[shooter1201]

quote:

---

THE TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS

---

Who???

[Mitzi1]

THE TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS WON, shooter. I am formerly from that area, live near there for 26 years and went to all their games.

[shooter1201]

I don't watch, attend or otherwise support major league sports, either. Heck, I can't even tell you WHO won the SuperBowl. Of course, if my daughter's left-handed, 90mph pitcher boyfriend makes it to the BIG LEAGUES, all that will change.

[That Guy]

quote:

---

..We pay people who can jump high or run fast millions of dollars per year..

---

Yeah but most people in here along with the rest of the US WATCH on TV and go to the events. All the money spent on tickets to T- shirts pay for them.
How many people who watched the Superbowl agree with your statement? A lot.
I agree with ya Frank thats why I dont watch major league sports anymore.

TG

[dc298]

The shuttle disaster was on TV and with the help of replays occurred before our very eyes, Thousands actually saw it as it happened.. (as did the first shuttle disaster) People saw history unfold it embraced and captured them... In British Columbia, 7 teeagers from a High school in Calgary died in an avalanche while skiing.. It never made the news for two days... both are disasters, one was professionals on a dangerous mission the other was children playing...The media(all types) got more out of one than the other and had to play to the largest audience..

[jellybean40]

And she also helped the poor and the sick and the "common people." I think the attention she got SHOWS how much she was loved. you cant delegate to people who they're allowed to care about.

As for the deaths of the astronauts, and servicemens deaths, unfortunately i think that in war death is more accepted. i said the same thing when this discussion came up regarding 9/11. i dont like weighing one life over another. but i think an unexpected tragedy is always more painful.

and regarding the way people grieve, everybody is different and some are more emotional.

[shrill]

I suppose what I really meant was that in comparison to MT she did next to nothing. Ultimately she didn't do very much anyway.