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Post by Argent'horn on Jul 20, 2007 16:59:44 GMT -5
Thirty-eight years ago today, two white guys, both with last names beginning with "A" , walked on the moon. No one had ever done so before. Sadly, few have done so since. Also sadly, those who have are all white men.
Every year on this date, I have the urge to remind everyone I can of this anniversary.
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Post by Steven Barnes on Jul 23, 2007 14:28:05 GMT -5
I remember watching that landing. And I remember very clearly what I was feeling, and it had nothing to do with Race--or Nationality--or gender. it was just pride at what human beings had accomplished.
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Post by Argent'horn on Jul 20, 2008 13:23:39 GMT -5
I seem compelled to post something about this every year...39 years ago today Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin were the first humans ever to walk on the moon.
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Post by Steven Barnes on Jul 21, 2008 11:38:27 GMT -5
I remember watching that walk, and being incredibly proud. Curiously, I was at some kind of civil rights event, all black people, and a big chunk of us stopped to watch the TV. Not one person mentioned anything other than being proud of being Americas. It was transcendent.
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Post by Argent'horn on Jul 21, 2008 12:22:53 GMT -5
I was at my ex in-laws in Mountain City, Tennessee, and I felt much the same way, Steve. It was only years later that it began to bug me that Armstrong and Aldrin were both white males, and not only that, both had last names beginning with 'A' which got me to wondering if there was pervasive bias, not only on the basis of race and sex, but also on the basis of having names early in alphabetical order.
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Post by Steven Barnes on Jul 22, 2008 12:06:14 GMT -5
Hah!
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Post by manilamac on Sept 11, 2008 11:16:32 GMT -5
My responses, early & late, were just the opposite. I was a deserter of conscience from the US military at the time, being hunted by several intelligence agencies, & hiding out in Manila. My view at the time was that it was another example of how our government threw money at status games instead of caring about people in real need. It was only later, when I became aware of what a low-tech, bailing-wire adventure the moon landings were, that I felt the pride that most people speak of. That feeling has been somewhat tempered by my disappointment that we were having a “space race” instead of a “space program.” If we went to the moon with what we had then, imagine what a real program could have accomplished by now.
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Post by Argent'horn on Jul 20, 2009 8:25:55 GMT -5
I am pleased that this year much more media attention has been given to the Apollo missions. I guess it really is about being a multiple of 10: 40 years versus 39.
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