proof of age - I know its off topic but...

[Steve K.]

On Fri, 4 Feb 2000, Kathleen Miller wrote:

> The Challenger, on the other hand, I sat watching with my sophomore History
> class, but I would not compare the death of seven strangers to a beloved
> president. Damn shame, yes, personal loss, no.

I agree with you on that -- my point was that for those of us who aren't
old enough to remember (or weren't alive during) the assassination or
death of a president in office, as with JFK and FDR, the Challenger is the
closest thing that approximates it, in terms of a segment of the
population recalling a shared sense of grief.

That is, I can't know what it was like when JFK died, but I am aware of
the response to the Challenger, and it's the only thing I can think of
that comes close to a nation grieving as a unit within my lifetime.

--- Steve K.