Sanford Bishop: “people in Georgia's Second District tell me they felt a deep personal loss when they learned about the fate of Columbia…”

“people in Georgia's Second District tell me they felt a deep personal loss when they learned about the fate of Columbia and her crew of seven. From what I've read and observed on television, this is the way people felt throughout the country and around the world--not only in India and Israel where two of the crew members were from, but also in places that have no direct connection with the international space program. People, everywhere, felt as if they had lost members of their own family. And, of course, we did. Although those of us who serve together in Congress may not always want to claim each other as relatives, we are, in fact, all part of one family--as American citizens . . . and as children of God. The Columbia was on a scientific mission. The magnificent men and women who flew in her risked their lives to explore the unknown and expand the boundaries of understanding. Their cause was the cause of humanity. As we mourn their loss, let us pledge to keep their cause alive. Mr. HOBSON, Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this resolution to express my sincere condolences to the families of the crew members of the Space Shuttle Columbia.”