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Thanks to Glenn I'll be going to the Lunar Hilton someday
To the editor, I am impressed with Michael Urena's Nov. 2 rant about John Glenn returning to space. It usually takes me twice as many words to portray myself as a total idiot. Granted, our government should be appropriating more money for education, but shuttle missions are not glorified wastes of money as Mr. Urena believes. Urena stated that Glenn in space is "damned shabby propaganda," and NASA would have done better to send "any ol' taxpaying yokel up there." Now, I lament the fact that we don't live in The Simpsons on a daily basis, but sending the average drunken slob into space is as unrealistic as sending oil drillers to space. NASA invests a great deal of time and money in their astronauts, and it is in their best interest to send only the most qualified candidates. That is why John Glenn is deserving; he is trained as an astronaut. He knows the score; he's been around the block, and he knows considerably more about space travel than Michael Urena - oops, I meant Joe Six-Pack. Glenn has also done a great deal as senator to support the space program; when I'm at prom I'd like to dance with the one that brung me. I also take issue with Mr. Urena's claim that the mission is "a great big scientific rip-off." There are no rip-offs in science; every discovery and every failure is a step on the road to knowledge. There is great scientific merit in measuring Glenn's bone density and sense of balance in space. The data gathered from these experiments will aid researchers in developing ways to adapt the human body to low-gravity environments; this is a vital step in off-world colonization. For this reason, the current mission is benefiting the elderly. If the Lunar Hilton gets built when I'm 65 and I can't go because nobody knows the effects of low gravity on the elderly I'm gonna be pissed. Furthermore, NASA is not a white elephant. NASA is still a strong program that is constantly developing new technology and performing experiments. They've actually done well considering the funding cuts they've endured. Learn something about science - it won't hurt you. It's fascinating and will always be key to human progress. Also Mike, one more thing, Glenn IS a Democrat.
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