Coffee With David

The commanders of three U.S. moon missions warned the administration’s plans regarding space flight knocking the USA "second or even third-rate" status as a space-faring nation." I know many who are against space exploration feel it is not worth it and that maybe we should focus more on "problems" here at home.

I understand the President’s position and wonder if it was not a similar one that propelled those who survived the fall of Rome faced. Their choices led to the dark ages.
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2010/04/14/obama-to-unveil-vision-for-space-program/?iref=allsearch&fbid=cF0FwY5zYsG
http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/04/15/obama.space/index.html?iref=allsearch
http://www.cnn.com/2010/TECH/space/04/14/us.space.program/index.html?iref=allsearch

I do not agree that we should just stay home where it is safe and try to solve the problems that people cannot solve not can sustain the generational levels of political and social will power necessary to do so Here is why: We have to continue the manned flight program for a very simple reason. You can ask a thousand scientist about global warming, population control, genetic engineering, and you will get a thousand different theories. But, there are two things that all of them will agree on: One day the earth will not be able to support the human population as the resources will be scarce or exhausted needed to maintain the race; and one day the star we know as our sun will grow cold and go out. It may be decades, centuries or even a million years from now, it will happen. The earth is our cradle, but like any infant there comes a time we have to leave this cradle. For if we don’t before these events happen then we will have lost Plato, Einstein, Elvis, Buddy Holly, Michelangelo, Lin Yutang, Charles W. Chestnut, W. E. B. DuBois, Da Vinci, Lao Tzu, Bruce Lee, George Santana, Mohandas Gandhi, and all of the blood and sweat of those who came before us and all the dreams and potential of the generations that follow is . . . and all of the suffering that has been endured and triumphs that have been won . . . all of the lives we have made . . . all that defines us as human beings will have been lost. All would have been for nothing—nothing but futile musing and an imaginable criminal waste of life—unless we go to the stars.

Thank you for reading and please visit www.davidalanlucas.com for information about the blogs, articles, poetry, and novels I write.