Enola Gay Damaged at Air & Space Museum Opening

maybe there's no such thing as a bad visitor to a museum.
As in "Mommy, why was that man so upset and why did he put a dent in the
airplane?" "Because a lot of people died in WWII, would you like to read
about it?"

Hear hear! Everything is a teachable moment, and is best handled by explaining
that people differ, and some overreact by expressing themselves in
inappropriate ways. I often go look something up so I can explain it to my
kids, or someone else, and wind up greatly extending my own education on the
topic. And learning about the reasons people disagree with my point of view is
also very educational.

Everything is a teachable moment, and is best handled by explaining
that people differ

Tell that to the Central Park Jogger!

all the best -- Dan Ford
email:

see the Warbird's Forum at www.warbirdforum.com
and the Piper Cub Forum at www.pipercubforum.com

In article , Cub Driver
wrote:

Everything is a teachable moment, and is best handled by explaining
that people differ

Tell that to the Central Park Jogger!

the explanation just needs to take different forms...

--
Bob Noel

In article , StellaStar wrote:

maybe there's no such thing as a bad visitor to a museum.
As in "Mommy, why was that man so upset and why did he put a dent in the
airplane?" "Because a lot of people died in WWII, would you like to read
about it?"

Hear hear! Everything is a teachable moment, and is best handled by explaining
that people differ, and some overreact by expressing themselves in
inappropriate ways. I often go look something up so I can explain it to my
kids, or someone else, and wind up greatly extending my own education on the
topic. And learning about the reasons people disagree with my point of view is
also very educational.

I was wondering why I was bothering to read this thread. Now I know
why. I couldn't agree more, though I didn't know that's what I thought
till I heard it....

Mike Beede

It's just a chunk of metal... that was used to kill much more than 3,000
innocent civilians - I believe we would call it state sponsored terrorism
these days. Why should we celebrate and adore a killing machine like that -
regardless of the circumstances?

Your logic would close a lot of museums! Indeed, I doubt that NASM
itself would be open today if it didn't celebrate killing machines of
all nations.

(3,000 people, huh? You're more than a little bit off. nOr are you
saying that only 3,000 of the Hiroshima dead were innocent? See
www.warbirdforum.com/hirodead.htm )


all the best -- Dan Ford
email:

see the Warbird's Forum at www.warbirdforum.com
and the Piper Cub Forum at www.pipercubforum.com

"Cub Driver" wrote in message


(3,000 people, huh? You're more than a little bit off. nOr are you
saying that only 3,000 of the Hiroshima dead were innocent? See
www.warbirdforum.com/hirodead.htm )

No, he's linking the WTC atrocity (~3,000 dead) with Hiroshima.

Personally, I think you guys are just feeding a troll.

--
John T
http://tknowlogy.com/tknoFlyer
__________

"John T" wrote in message
ws.com...
"Cub Driver" wrote in message


(3,000 people, huh? You're more than a little bit off. nOr are you
saying that only 3,000 of the Hiroshima dead were innocent? See
www.warbirdforum.com/hirodead.htm )

No, he's linking the WTC atrocity (~3,000 dead) with Hiroshima.

Personally, I think you guys are just feeding a troll.

You win the prize... I am trolling. For those with a keen eye it should have
been obvious. BTW, I think the bombing of Hiroshima was absolutely necessary
to end the war, even though innocent civilians were killed. Not to mention
the carpet bombing of civilian cities in Europe (Dresden was pretty bad) to
weaken the resolve of the bad guys.

For the rest of you, get off your moral high horses. War is a dirty
business. Think about that for a change. Think about the millions of
soldiers who fought and won that war, and then go visit D.C. to find their
memorials. It is very disappointing that that generation is not properly
honored and remembered in my opinion. And you want to get upset that someone
dented the Enola Gay???

-- Plumb Bob (straight up, hold the politically correct speech)

"plumb bob" wrote in message
news:1hrEb.597205$Fm2.545591@attbi_s04...
"John T" wrote in message
ws.com...
"Cub Driver" wrote in message


(3,000 people, huh? You're more than a little bit off. nOr are you
saying that only 3,000 of the Hiroshima dead were innocent? See
www.warbirdforum.com/hirodead.htm )

No, he's linking the WTC atrocity (~3,000 dead) with Hiroshima.

Personally, I think you guys are just feeding a troll.

You win the prize... I am trolling. For those with a keen eye it should
have
been obvious. BTW, I think the bombing of Hiroshima was absolutely
necessary
to end the war, even though innocent civilians were killed.


There ARE NOT INNOCENT CIVILIANS in a nation that started an agressive war.
The blood of those that were NOT RESPONSIBLE for the war is on the hands of
those who WERE RESPONSIBLE.

Not to mention
the carpet bombing of civilian cities in Europe (Dresden was pretty bad)
to
weaken the resolve of the bad guys.

And knock out a bunch of German manufacturing that Germany put there BECAUSE
they figured the Allies would not bomb Dresden.

For the rest of you, get off your moral high horses. War is a dirty
business. Think about that for a change. Think about the millions of
soldiers who fought and won that war, and then go visit D.C. to find their
memorials. It is very disappointing that that generation is not properly
honored and remembered in my opinion. And you want to get upset that
someone
dented the Enola Gay???

Good up to the last line, then you use a rationalization that most parents
wouldn't accept from a four year old.

A *unique* hunk o tin it is, however. The 'tool' IS the history. ONE
airplane was able to do that amount of damage - unprecendented. The
B-29 itself was the most technologically advanced machine of its day.

To repeat what should not require repeating: 1. War sucks. If you
have to do it, make it hard and fast, and get it over with. 2. Fewer
civilians died at Hiroshima than in the fire-bombing of Tokyo or
Dresden, or in the Japanese depredations in China. 3. The use of the
Bomb saved millions of Japanese and American lives that would have
been needlessly lost had the US been forced to invade.

It's a shame that NASM doesn't have a B-36 - an airplane based on the
same technology, but so big that it makes a B-29 look like a kid's tin
toy. The "Peacemaker" never dropped a bomb in anger - it scared the
Soviets out of starting anything stupid in the dark days of the early
Cold War. I'm looking forward to finally getting out to Wright-Pat
and seeing the one they have there.


"plumb bob" wrote in message news:N7kEb.423166$ao4.1358042@attbi_s51...
It's just a chunk of metal... that was used to kill much more than 3,000
innocent civilians - I believe we would call it state sponsored terrorism
these days. Why should we celebrate and adore a killing machine like that -
regardless of the circumstances? Just get it patched up and move on, really.
The history is far more important than the tool.

That should get things started around here :-)


"Jay Honeck" wrote in message
news:GKjEb.593526$Fm2.545217@attbi_s04...
I'm surprised no one has brought up this travesty.

For those who don't know, the Enola Gay -- beautifully refurbished and now
on display at the new Udvar-Hazy facility of the National Air & Space
Museum -- was damaged by some nut case from Ohio who threw something at
the
plane and dented it during a protest against the atomic bombing of Japan.

If it were up to me, a life sentence without hope of parole would be too
good for this jerk. To damage an irreplaceable aircraft, and a piece of
history, is absolutely unconscionable.

Margy, how bad is it?
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Corrie wrote:

Fewer civilians died at Hiroshima than in the fire-bombing of Tokyo or
Dresden, or in the Japanese depredations in China.

Fewer people, civilian or not, were killed at Hiroshima and Nagasaki combined
than were killed with samurai swords by the Japanese during WW II.

George Patterson
Great discoveries are not announced with "Eureka!". What's usually said is
"Hummmmm... That's interesting...."