[AZ-Observing] Re: Spacefest in Mesa Continues Sunday

Where do you draw the line on double standards?

I agree these explorers are a national treasure, and their 
experiences should be shared, however, the people of this country 
already paid the bill for their accomplishments while in the employ 
of our government.  Oh, and they volunteered for the duty...  How 
many times should they be paid for the same job?  Now I don't believe 
for a minute these highly educated individuals figured they'd go to 
the moon (for example), and nobody would notice.  They had to know 
this would be a lifetime achievement with the accompanying 
notoriety.  Call it typecast if you want, but the notion they should 
be compensated for enduring the burden of rubbing shoulders with mere 
mortals (non-VIPs) is rubbish.  If it wasn't for us mere mortals 
making up the rest of civilization, they never would have left the 
ground in the first place!  Many of these astronauts went on to 
successful careers in the private sector - but that's not what the 
world remembers them for (and maybe -they- like it that way).  The 
notion of setting high autograph prices is also ridiculous.  It 
eliminates almost everybody except for the professional collectors 
who can afford it.  A small fee is quite reasonable.  Honestly, I 
think these guys should show some gratitude that they are -still- 
well remembered.  There are people who were born -while- they were 
walking on the moon who have no idea of who these people are, or what 
they did.  They should be happy not to be some unknown and forgotten 
old fart in a nursing home, like, sadly, how too many of us will end up.

I respect and admire what these people did - more so after very 
recently discovering many mission transcripts detailing how -many- 
things went wrong along the way (not to mention flying in a vehicle 
designed to be losing parts throughout the entire journey - 363 feet 
left the pad, 10 feet came home).  I'd happily pay a reasonable 
admission fee for an event like this weekend (had I known in 
advance).  I'd even offer to buy a meal in exchange for some chat 
time, but to pay up to $175 for an autograph isn't going to 
happen.  The idea that some of the speakers (actors) demanded an 
extra admission fee at this event is enough of a turn off for 
me.  Sure, you -do- have to pay the bills, but this seems too much 
like plain ol' greed.  That's nothing to be honored for.

One other thing I noticed in reading the mission transcripts is how 
infrequently crews took the opportunity to mention the "little 
people" that got them there.  It's something current NASA crews seem 
to bend over backwards to do often.  Hats off to them!

Mike




At 09:16 AM 8/19/2007, you wrote:
>    Beyond that, it probably does get a little tedious being recognized
>for only one accomplishment in your life, and one that took place 35
>years ago at that.  Sort of the ultimate in being typecast.  Especially
>among those remaining of the twelve who set foot on the Moon, I think
>it's legitimate to consider that their experiences are a sort of
>national treasure which they have some obligation to share while they
>still can, however I can't really begrudge them the opportunity to gain
>some measure of compensation for taking a weekend to be in the presence
>of people who aren't VIPs.
>
>                                 -- Mike --

---------------------------------------------------------------
   Mike Cowen      Practice random acts of kindness
                               and selfless acts of beauty.
  mcowen@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx            -Anonymous


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