nklr_realllyyy again and again

[monte quint]

I'm not really an advocate of the space program. My point is that a knee jerk reaction that the space program is not worthy because we do not see an immediate benefit to it today is fallacy. It takes many years for the technology to trickle down to the benefit of the common man. As far as return on investment or benfit to the most people, the space program has been one of the greatest uses of our tax dollars there has even been. Hell yes I"d rather see hunger or disease disappear from our countrys' huge list of present worries. Let me know where to send my check today. But if an offshoot of an offshoot research program that was originally funded by a far flung relative of the space program helps cure your childs or grandchilds cancer 20 years from now I think it deserves some thought more than outright dismissal. Going to Mars is the END RESULT folks not the benefit. I don't give two figs whether we go or not but to say we have problems and then dismiss one of the most cost vs. benefit programs we have ever had is foolish to my way of thinking. I have no association with the space program, nor interest in, never had or ever will have, nor more knowledge of it than the common man should have, but when I can look around my home or out my window and see materials that were a direct result of technology that is the end result of collabarative efforts started 40+ years ago I do have an appreciation of the race to the stars. Go ahead, take the technology away, forego the new "super glue" if you wish to have a such a view, but what are you saying no to now and for the future of your grandchildren. Which of the hundreds of "cure groups" maintaining hundreds of duplicate efforts do you support? That's all for me. Monte, Ketchikan, AK one who knows about the "Bridge to Nowhere"