Listen to Wise Counsel
Without counsel plans fail, but with many advisers they succeed. (Proverbs 15:22 ESV)
The harsh reality of this proverb was made evident on January 28, 1986 at 11:39 am Eastern Standard Time. In an experience that riveted the attention of a generation, the space shuttle Challenger, a mere 73 seconds into its flight, began a plummet into the ocean when its fuel tank tore apart, spilling liquid oxygen and hydrogen which formed a huge fireball at an altitude of 46,000 ft. Challenger itself was torn apart as it was flung free of the other rocket components and turned broadside into the Mach 2 air stream. The individual propellant tanks were seen exploding — but by then, the spacecraft was already in pieces.
In January of 1985 Roger Boisjoly, an engineer for Morton Thiokol observed that under unusually cold conditions the o-ring seal on the space shuttle’s solid rocket booster could fail. Further tests were done, and in July of 1985 Boisjoly wrote a memo to the Vice President of Engineering at Morton Thiokol which stated: “It is my honest and very real fear that if we do not take immediate action to dedicate a team to solve the problem, we stand in jeopardy of losing a [space shuttle] flight.”
Even in the hours leading up to the launch of the Challenger on January 28,1986 Boisjoly and other engineers were stating their belief that it was not safe to launch the shuttle in the record cold temperatures. Despite the engineer’s concerns, a general manager for Morton Thikol said, “We have to make a management decision.” They made the decision to recommend the launch. They made a bad call and by disregarding the counsel of the engineers who had qualms about the O-rings.
I wonder how many months and years it took those men who made “a management decision” to be able, once again, to sleep through the night.
The harsh reality of this proverb was made evident on January 28, 1986 at 11:39 am Eastern Standard Time. In an experience that riveted the attention of a generation, the space shuttle Challenger, a mere 73 seconds into its flight, began a plummet into the ocean when its fuel tank tore apart, spilling liquid oxygen and hydrogen which formed a huge fireball at an altitude of 46,000 ft. Challenger itself was torn apart as it was flung free of the other rocket components and turned broadside into the Mach 2 air stream. The individual propellant tanks were seen exploding — but by then, the spacecraft was already in pieces.
In January of 1985 Roger Boisjoly, an engineer for Morton Thiokol observed that under unusually cold conditions the o-ring seal on the space shuttle’s solid rocket booster could fail. Further tests were done, and in July of 1985 Boisjoly wrote a memo to the Vice President of Engineering at Morton Thiokol which stated: “It is my honest and very real fear that if we do not take immediate action to dedicate a team to solve the problem, we stand in jeopardy of losing a [space shuttle] flight.”
Even in the hours leading up to the launch of the Challenger on January 28,1986 Boisjoly and other engineers were stating their belief that it was not safe to launch the shuttle in the record cold temperatures. Despite the engineer’s concerns, a general manager for Morton Thikol said, “We have to make a management decision.” They made the decision to recommend the launch. They made a bad call and by disregarding the counsel of the engineers who had qualms about the O-rings.
I wonder how many months and years it took those men who made “a management decision” to be able, once again, to sleep through the night.
So when the rest of it unfolds, people get hurt, die; they get sick, but when do we stand up and use our lives against the rushing river of voices, and change the direction of its "progression"? When do we stop being people in a citizenship of needs and just be human beings? (Comment this)