World says goodbye to heroes
The Collegian Opinion

    "Where were you when ... ?" has become a generational question.

   Where were you when Pearl Harbor was bombed? ... when Gary Powers was shot down over the Soviet Union? ... when President John Kennedy was shot? ... when the Viet Cong released our prisoners of war? ... when the Challenger exploded? ... when the Murrah Building was bombed? ... when the Columbine High School shooting occurred? ... when the towers fell?

   We all thought the next question would be ...when President Bush declared war on Iraq.

   We were wrong.

   Saturday those of us alive in 1986 faced a question similar to one we've been asked before ... where were you when Space Shuttle Columbia burned and fell apart on reentry?

   We weren't prepared. That's why the question becomes so important. That's one of the reasons people ask those questions.

   And, like the Kennedy assassination, this event had a local touch. Kennedy was shot in Dallas after spending his last night in downtown Fort Worth, after addressing Fort Worth citizens and after listening to Fort Worth high school bands.

   Last Saturday morning, some of us were awakened by a sonic boom ... or an explosion ... or an accident. We didn't know what it was, but it woke us up or jarred us away from whatever tasks we were doing.

   We jumped up and rushed to windows or outside to look around. Seeing nothing, we returned to our normal Saturday morning routine. But when we turned on the television or the radio, we learned the truth: the Columbia on its way to landing in Florida had broken apart in the skies over Dallas/Fort Worth.

   Traveling at speeds of 69 miles per second, the debris showered down to Earth, leaving a path from Dallas to Louisiana.

   We scoffed at the theory of another terrorist attack.

   No, this was just a tragic accident.

   And like our reactions to the previous tragedies, we stayed tuned to the television and radio all day. We read the Sunday paper for more news. We await the arrival of Time and Newsweek later this week, hoping for more in-depth coverage, looking for the answers to why this happened.

   But most of all we think about the people. Seven lives were lost. These people gave their lives for something they believed in and loved.

   They were pioneers, scientists, husbands, wives, fathers, mothers, sons and daughters. They were friends and family, and now they are heroes.

   As with the Challenger and the Apollo capsule that burned during training, killing the three Astronauts aboard, the Columbia leaves its mark on our memories.

   We mourn the passing of these seven brave souls. We celebrate their achievements, their lives, their sacrifices.

   We say bless the families who remain. We say thank you to seven people who died too young, too soon.