NASA and Our National Vision

I visited the Space Center at Cape Canaveral, Florida for the first time recently. I had already been mourning the rumored gutting of our country's space program. In 2003, I was fortunate enough to watch the launch of the Mars probe in person. The launch amazed and enthralled thousands of other spectators as well. All my life, I have been so interested in all of the launches, in the Hubble telescope's amazing pictures and in the courage, persistence and endurance of the men and women working in all aspects of the program.

After touring the Space Center, I was struck anew by the waste of abandoning the Space Shuttle program and scaling back our country's dreams and visions. In this time of hardship, it is even more important to grasp onto a vision. It is more important than ever to push forward with innovations and new technologies and new explorations. Working for NASA has been the dream and goal of the brightest and best. It has been a beacon to students encouraging the study of Math and the Sciences. Our national heroes are Astronauts and the people who get them up into Space. What do we have without it? A generation of students addicted to computer games and who never leave their bedrooms?

I ask every voter to consider the value of the program for future generations. "Without a vision, the people perish."