How we cite our quotes: (Sentence)
Quote #1
[…] perhaps we've forgotten the courage it took for the crew of the shuttle; but they, the Challenger Seven, were aware of the dangers, but overcame them and did their jobs brilliantly. (8)
Perhaps you've forgotten about their courage? Reagan makes a really important point here: being an astronaut is an insanely dangerous profession and anyone who can handle that kind of stress and still perform highly skilled tasks is amazing.
Quote #2
For the families of the seven […] Your loved ones were daring and brave, and they had that special grace, that special spirit that says, "Give me a challenge and I'll meet it with joy." (11-13)
Reagan adds another layer to the heroic image of the Challenger Seven that he builds throughout the speech.
Quote #3
The future doesn't belong to the fainthearted; it belongs to the brave. (27)
So if America doesn't remain brave in the face of this disaster, then it loses its grip on the future.
Quote #4
The Challenger crew was pulling us into the future, and we'll continue to follow them. (28)
Reagan implies that the Challenger Seven were already part of the future (because of their bravery), and even though they were killed in action, they still symbolically remain there. He turns them into beacons of the future and trailblazers whose excellence we should strive to emulate.
Quote #5
The crew of the space shuttle Challenger honored us by the manner in which they lived their lives. We will never forget them, nor the last time we saw them, this morning, as they prepared for their journey and waved goodbye and "slipped the surly bonds of earth" to "touch the face of God." (44-45)
Reagan gets a bit spiritual here, citing a poem originally written in 1941 by a nineteen-year-old Royal Canadian Air Force Pilot. He's reiterating the Challenger Seven's heroism and suggests their presence in heaven.