OK. By now everyone who reads my silly little blog has read or heard about the Astronaut who is accused of various assault/attempted murder/attempted kidnapping charges against someone else who was supposedly in a "NASA love triangle". If you have no idea what I’m talking about, go Google "NASA love triangle"...
This person is now up on on charges ranging from attempted kidnapping to attempted murder. If all that is reported in the news is correct - and this is a BIG if - remember this IS the "drive-by media" and they get all sorts of crap wrong, then she snapped. Her home life is obviously messed up. How could a mother of three think that an infatuation with some dude (not the father of her children) be worth her marriage, her childrens' well being, and her place as an astronaut?! (update - she's apparently separated from her husband but by a matter of only weeks. It sounds like things were not well at home, whch is lamentable, but in no way justifies her actions.)
There's some serious problems here, people. I will only address her place at NASA. I know of several people who would give their left(right) testicle(breast) to be an astronaut. (pardon the crude expressions, but it's true.) Those people would be far better astronauts than several of the people currently in the Astronaut Corps(tm) right now including, if these charges are true, this person. Some ask "Why didn't NASA catch this? Answer: There are no magic tests to show if someone is likely to flip out. It doesn't exist. Not without having some head shrinker lurking over these people night and day.
Yes, Virginia, It's true.
Astronauts are just like everyone else.
They have human failings, which unfortunately means that on occasion, one of them will lose their minds every so often. One of my pet peeves from working in the manned space program is that astronauts are treated as demi-gods when in reality they are fallible human beings, just like you and me. Once they are granted the title of "Astronaut" they are considered superior to the rest of us, and therefore incapable of all the sins we mortals commit. Their wishes are everyone else's commands. They are said "no" to very seldomly. When they do hear the word "no", many get upset. I've seen it, and not just on the news recently.
Granted, the work they do is dangerous, but is the work they do more dangerous than the work done by soldiers, firemen or a police officers? Those people
If the human race is ever to leave this planet in the same way we fly from Boston to Los Angeles then we must get rid of the notion that to fly in space one must be superhuman. Astronauts are not superhuman. They are just like you and me. To perpetuate the notion that to go to space requires superhuman intellect, strength or stamina is a disservice to the rest of us who hope to someday fly over an altitude of 50 miles. The best thing that we can do is to "de-heroize" the astronaut. They are not heros. They are people like you and me who just get to work in space - on occasion. Most of the time they do paperwork - Just like many of us. I'm not saying that most of them are not brilliant exceptional individuals, they are and there's nothing wrong with trying to excel. My point is that the goal of the space program ought to be to provide access to space for people other than the elite. Many people I know would make excellent astronauts, but are not capable of it because of the scarsity of such positions, and some quality thay have is lacking - usually a defect of birth, upbringing or genetics (I mean things like nearsightedness).
It is not in NASA's interest to de-heroize the astronaut. They need spokesmodels to gain public support, since they are a federal agency and rely on taxpayer money to operate. Unfortunately, making space accessible to many more people means the Astronaut becomes less special and therefore the spokemodel value and a considerable means of advertising the cause of space exploration is lost.
Okay, enough ranting. I'm sure this tiatribe wouldn't help my chances of gaining employment in the space program when I graduate in May if it were read by certain people, but nevertheless, I need to speak my mind.
In this particular case, let the jury determine the facts, and treat her exactly as they would any other citizen of the USA. The fact she has the job title of "Astronaut" is irrelevant.
The media's coverage of it has ben dispicable. These root weevils, as Tom Wolfe so accurately put it in ("The Right Stuff"), were camping out at her house waiting for her to come home. That's not news, that's filthy tabloid garbage, worthy of the worst of papparazzi.
I especially condem KHOU, the CBS affiilliate in Houston for shining bright lights
through the vehicle that came to her house. They showed still photos showing people in the vehicle and commented that those people were not there as the car backed out and left. Gee, do you think she was in the back of the car?
If you want to read the police reports, The Smoking Gun has them on line