Letter: Meteor defense should be goal

Monday, Feb. 9, 2004 | 9:06 a.m.

I am against President Bush's idea to initiate any manned exploration of Mars. This should only be contemplated if ever this country's economy vastly improves and the deficit is eliminated.

Bush recklessly acts like a spendthrift who does not worry about our nation's possible bankruptcy, but only thinks about what votes he can gain knowing that he will not be the one living in the poorhouse. We should continue to fund methods to monitor space for signs of intelligent life, which can be done on Earth and/or in unmanned, orbiting spacecraft.

Also, I believe we would benefit more from putting our space research dollars into developing the means of detecting, then diverting or destroying, a meteor that might have the capability of killing millions of people or cause our extinction.

Which would you choose -- bragging rights over other countries by being the first to put a man on Mars, or working with other nations to help ensure that mankind will exist into the next millennium?

CHARLES LOUIS HOELDERLIN

archive