How we cite our quotes: (Sentence)
Quote #1
They had a hunger to explore the universe and discover its truths. (14)
For the Challenger Seven, exploration was an urge that needed constant fulfillment. It was as natural as being hungry. And judging by their decision to become astronauts, it wasn't some after-school snack attack that needed satisfying.
Quote #2
We've grown used to wonders in this century. It's hard to dazzle us. But for 25 years the United States space program has been doing just that. We've grown used to the idea of space, and perhaps we forget that we've only just begun. We're still pioneers. They, the members of the Challenger crew, were pioneers. (17-22)
It's amazing to think that some people find the greatest technological achievements in the history of humankind to be boring. But apparently Reagan thought it was necessary to point that out and tell America, "Hey, don't be so jaded!" He also provides a bigger picture as far as space travel is concerned. In 1986, and even now, space exploration was very new endeavor for humankind. So don't be so blasé about it.
Quote #3
And I want to say something to the schoolchildren of America who were watching the live coverage of the shuttle's takeoff. I know it is hard to understand, but sometimes painful things like this happen. It's all part of the process of exploration and discovery. It's all part of taking a chance and expanding man's horizons. (23-26)
Removed from the context of the speech, does Reagan's address to the "schoolchildren of America" seem to do adequate damage control? Or is it more like, "Hey kids, sorry you had to see that. You'll understand when you're older. Maybe stick to the radio for a while"?
Quote #4
We'll continue our quest in space. There will be more shuttle flights and more shuttle crews and, yes, more volunteers, more civilians, more teachers in space. Nothing ends here; our hopes and our journeys continue. (34-36)
And more taco trucks in space, and more strips malls in space, and more...Reagan seems awfully confident in this passage about the future endeavors of NASA, which would actually have its Space Shuttle Program stalled until September 1988.
Quote #5
There's a coincidence today. On this day 390 years ago, the great explorer Sir Francis Drake died aboard ship off the coast of Panama. In his lifetime the great frontiers were the oceans, and an historian later said, "He lived by the sea, died on it, and was buried in it." Well, today we can say of the Challenger crew: Their dedication was, like Drake's, complete. (40-43)
Reagan torques up the mythological status of the Challenger Seven here with his comparison to Sir Francis Drake, because what better way to ensure the historical legacy of someone than by placing them in the same camp as someone else with an already long-established historical legacy?