After the explosion of the Space Shuttle Challenger in 1986, Ronald Reagan, the then President of the USA, addressed the nation.
A moving speech indeed. A fitting tribute to the pioneers who lost their lives. The speech was predictably filled with positive messages. He addressed not only the families of the astronauts but also the men and women who worked for NASA and said he shared their anguish. More importantly he talked to the children who were probably watching the Challenger explode telling them that the future belongs to the brave.
It was poignant when he said:Nothing ends here - our hopes and our journeys continue.
I wish our political leaders would take a cue from this - address the nation positively when something goes wrong instead of disappearing altogether or playing the blame game.
1 comment:
Well, not for nothing was he known as the "Great Communicator."
Perhaps it was his background as a movie actor that enabled him to hone and perfect these communication skills.
There's of course a great resurrection going on today about Reagan and his legacy and his stock has risen since his death from Alzheimer's. Historians will continue to debate that matter.
It's ironic when you think about the fact that President Carter turned out to be a failure as a president though he was a highly educated technocrat. And President Reagan turned out to be successful.
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