TODAY IN WORLD HISTORY: The Space Shuttle Challenger Disaster, January 28, 1986

I finally had an answer for my writer's block syndrome. From now on, i'll try to find anything significant in a day's date, like what i have right now. On my first installment of Today in World History, we look back on what happened 25 years ago in Kennedy Space Center in Florida, where the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster took place.

This catastrophic event actually happened three months before my birth (i'm still in my mother's womb back then). It's one of those events where you look back and think about what went wrong. Up to this day, it is considered as one of the unfortunate events that shape up the current world we're living in right now.

The 1986 crew of the Space Shuttle Challenger (AP Photo/NASA)

Tuesday. January 28, 1986. SS Challenger was set to go for it's 10th mission. They went through their normal routines, as part of safety check-ups before lift-off. It was beautiful morning, and it doesn't seem that anything could go wrong or anything bad could happen. Seven people makes up the crew, where this mission was set apart from the other space flights because of the diversity of the crew and in addition of the first teacher in space, Christia McAuliffe. With all hope and pride, the shuttle took off where the whole nation is watching, even schoolchildren who where at their classrooms early in the morning.

Then, seventy-three seconds after lift-off -- disaster happens, as the shuttle exploded into a white and orange cloud dust, while the nation below the disaster stood in shock and disbelief --- ended in a horrific sight. All seven crew members died that day.

Live media coverage of the SS Challenger disaster (CNN)

The whole United States, and, probably, the whole world mourned this unfortunate event. Even if i was yet to be born back in the day that happened, looking back, a lot of things could've been prevented. But on the flip side of things, accidents are very unpredictable. You could even hear at the end of this video clip where Steve Nesbitt, the voice of Mission Control, uttered the words,"Obviously... A major malfunction... has occcured." They still were able to recover the remains of the crew, and the identifiable ones were returned to their families on April 29, 1986 (the day i was born). Unidentified crew remains were buried communally at the Space Shuttle Challenger Memorial in Arlington, Virginia on May 20, 1986.

A lot of things were changed by the management and overlooked all of the future possible problems. This event was frequently used as a case study. Engineering designs, safety, the ethics of whistle-blowing, communication, proper decision-making were some of the aspects that are a part of the studies. This just shows that, from every mistake we experienced or witnessed, we learn a lot of lessons and try to improve or do something much better to avoid the same catastrophic troubles like this one.

The Space Shuttle Challenger Memorial in Arlington Nat'l Cemetery, where some remains where buried. (AP)

Today, twenty-five years after the accident, the memories are still fresh for the ones that are a part of this mission and for those who witnessed it's fall. To all the crew of SS Challenger, may you all rest in peace. As we commemorate it's 25th year, i just want to let you all know that i salute those people who wants to take another step for another giant leap for the mankind, as what Neil Armstrong said before. Let this be a reminder that even at adversities like this, we won't stop at making the earth a better place to live in.

Space Shuttle Challenger, January 28, 1986.

Eat crap, talk crap, spread crap: Racism today

"To live anywhere in the world today and be against equality because of race or color is like living in Alaska and being against snow."

- William Faulkner

"I have a dream" - a line immortalized 47 years ago by the late Martin Luther King, Jr. - is about the things he wanted to see in the future: Equality. During the tumultuos and turbulent 60's, black people were segregated and discriminated in all aspects of life. It's something people back then were not able to accomplish. Although, in modern times, somehow, we're able to minimize it, but we still have it today. It may not be as violent as it was back then, but, with all the advancements and the technoligies we have right now, Racism has upgraded, too.

I'm currently living in Milan, Italy right now. For the short span of time of stay, well, i can say, racism is still out there, maybe can be considered as on "it's lowest point." As a stranger in a foreign land like this, expect people who were really from here (some are old people; others, middle-aged), to let go of the wrath of degradation. I had my fair share of racial discrimination experience, most especially on public places. Even if want to answer back out of anguish and anger, i just let it go and treated it like an "ordinary-day-at-the-office type of problem" - even if it breaks my heart not to defend or do something for myself. It's a sad sight that the "dream" mr. King dreamt before, is still something of a hollow dream, in some of the places around the world.

When the going gets tough, the tough gets rough. When its tougher, of course, it's rougher. People of today are exposed to this kind of disgusting state we are currently witnessing right now. I wrote this blog because i checked my home page from a popular social networking site, and a few friends of mine have posts that's about racism. Of course, they're the subject of racism, and i had mine before, so, my better outlet of positive anger and distate is through this blog. We're not in the 1960's anymore. I thought people would be much better and much more understanding than before. Well, i'm not saying all, 'cause at least, i'm able to meet people from different races, who shares the same sentiments towards racism. They are really good people. We're from different walks of life, but we demonstrate love to one another. We respect each other's cultural diversities and at the same time, manages to adapt to theirs. We don't judge each other by our physical appearance. We try to improve more our lives and spread the Word of God. The Bible never taught us to be critically judgmental about others. As we do our best to become a good example to the whole community around the world, we're hoping that one day, the "dream" will be fulfilled, with all the gaping holes resolved and all the discriminative boundaries broken for life.

It has always been a challenge to tag along with people of different race. It's not difficult, but it takes you a lot of time to cope up. Well, that depends on how you get along with others, but that's something not out of reach. As a concerned human being, we have to show good example to the younger ones to treat each other equally. It's them who will carry the torch for the next generations to come and to completely put racism into obsoletion. It's not the same crap as before, but racism is still crap. No matter how much time passed, inequality still lives among us. Sometimes, rules among us. But no matter what, we are all hoping for a better place to live in, and i know we're not just hoping for nothing. One day, we can do it and be united as one.


Good day to everyone.

"For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measures you use, it will be measured to you."

- Matthew 7:2, NIV