Personal Narrative: The Challenger Disaster

I vividly remember the day of the Challenger Disaster. I was five years old and in kindergarten. My teacher, Ms. Epton, brought us outside to watch the shuttle launch; something many kids have to watch on television, but those of us living on the coast got to witness firsthand. I remember seeing the fiery glow of the shuttle, the gasps by the adults, and quickly being hurried back into the classroom. Not much was said about what had happened, it was not until later that I fully understood.
Space exploration was magical for my generation. If you asked any child, especially boys, what they wanted to be when they grew up, many would proudly announce “An astronaut!”. That does not seem to be the case with the youth of today as our space program is not the glory we once knew. For the majority of Americans, the Challenger Disaster was just that, a disaster. After watching the documentaries and listening to the opinions expressed by both experts and those actually in charge of the lethal decisions in the launch, my views have changed. It is hard to imagine money and appearance were the driving motives to launch a shuttle with known complications. The fact the space program
risked, and eventually sacrificed lives for the image of pioneering space exploration is despicable. The country not only lost human life, but millions of dollars. Rather than scrub the launch, make the necessary corrections, and promote a safe launch, the operations managers ignored the recommendations of engineers and authorized the launch.
Groupthink is a tool developed to stifle creativity, promote equality among all, and invoke fear of free speech.
It takes a strong individual to separate from the pack, and speak freely, defending their own ideals. The Challenger Disaster is a prime example of groupthink; although Thiokol made specific recommendations to halt the launch if the temperature did not reach at least 54°F, those in senior positions influenced the engineers, dismissed their concerns, and ultimately killed seven human beings. A common saying, “Go with your gut” applies to many facets of life. The engineers at both NASA and Thiokol knew there would be grave implications if the launch proceeded but lacked the scientific evidence to back up their recommendation. Ultimately, corporate prowess won, and the launch was
forced.
Merriam-Webster defines political correctness as conforming to the belief that certain phrases and labels may offend a particular population, when referencing matters surrounding race or sex, and such phrases should be eliminated (Merriam, 2016). A major social situation that has evolved over the years reflecting politically correct vernacular is the use of words describing learning disabilities. In the past, people were labeled “retarded”, “retards” or “slow”. With the evolution of political correctness, terms such as “learning disabled”, “special needs”, and “cognitively delayed” have become the norm. Not only do these decrease bullying, but the terms are less damaging to self-esteem.
The media does not influence my political beliefs. Every corporation can be bought for a price, the same is true for media. It is apparent CNN reports issues in a pro left wing fashion and conversely, Fox News reports issues in a pro right wing fashion. The truth lies somewhere in between. To be an informed citizen, one must research topics for themselves, and form an educated opinion. Using fact-checking websites, reviewing voting histories of representatives and candidates, and reading both sides of the arguments will go far in decision-making. One should never base their opinions solely on what they overheard on one news broadcast or read in one Facebook post. We are responsible for our own research.