Opinion
The Battalion
Page 11 • Wednesday, January 21, 2004
Privatized space travel?
Bush's plans for a lunar base and landing on Mars are idealistic, not realistic
MIKE
WALTERS
n Jan. 14. President
George W. Bush
charged NASA with the
ask of replacing the space
huttle as well as establishing a
unar base and beginning
[tanned flights to Mars by
020. While his vision of an
stronaut planting the
merican flag on Martian soil
ithin the next 20 years is an
aspiration to all who value scientific learning
nd achievement, the journey to get there effi-
iently and successfully requires more than Bush
ias planned.
The unfortunate disaster of the space shuttle
olumbia last spring demanded a
ew evaluation of the aging
arbiter program, and so far,
ASA has no solid design plans
or its replacement. There is also
he issue of tax dollars; NASA’s
udget for the next five years is
86 billion, and Bush wants to
bdd one dollar to that amount
ach year. Though Bush may
now where he wants to go in
iow many years, the details of
his plan don’t exist and no one
an predict what the costs will be
n the end.
As Americans gather their W-
s and take a look at how much
f their money the government is
oing to take from them, the idea
f Bush wanting to spend even
ore of their money doesn’t
ppeal to most. Fortunately,
[here is a plan that would reduce the amount
Americans would pay in taxes and at the same
lime make the space program more efficient and
less costly. It may even make the lunar base a
peality in less time than Bush wants.
The simple solution—privatize the space pro-
! tram.
When one stops to consider it, the idea of the
jovemment holding the keys to all space-related
esearch and technology makes little sense.
)cean exploration is conducted through private
tompanies, and even college students engage in
While (Bush's)
vision of an
astronaut planting
the American flag
on Martian soil... is
an inspiration..., the
journey to get there
efficiently and
successfully requires
more than Bush has
planned.
yearly competitions to design new robotic sub
marines. Freeing the realm of space technology
means making it available to more of the newest
and brightest minds of the public, which means
faster progress.
The huge amount of paperwork and regula
tions that the government enforces in all its insti
tutions is an enormous hindrance to anybody
going through the system, which is plain to stu
dents when they wait in line to get a new driver
license. If automobile construction were restrict
ed to government regulation the way the space
shuttle is, everyone would still be driving Pintos
and El Caminos. Holding technology back by its
place in the bureaucracy is senseless and coun
terproductive. The fact that astronauts still ride
20-year-old spacecrafts into orbit
is proof of this.
Allowing for this sector to be
open to competition translates
into companies working hard to
be the best, most efficient, safe
and reliable service to the stars,
just as the automobile industry
does for the highway. It would
form new industries such as
space tourism, allowing a honey-
moon in space to move from sci
ence fiction to reality. No one
can deny that there is an interest
in this field, though for the
decades that humankind has been
in space, only one man —
Dennis Tito, who traveled with
the Russians in 2001 — has ever
been to space as a tourist.
The research that goes along
with designing space technology
would aid other industries in the form of aircraft
design, computers and new materials would hap
pen at a faster pace. Companies would be free to
allocate funds as they see fit,
paying their workers at competitive rates,
funding research and conducting as many experi
ments and flights as they need without having
their budget dictated by congressmen who don’t
have a clue what their business involves.
Obviously, privatizing the space program
would take a multi-billion dollar load off
Americans, but eliminating NASA wouldn’t
Paul Wilson • THE BATTALION
eliminate the industry—it would enhance and
expand it. Companies would immediately form
to launch satellites and men into space, conduct
research to make newer, cheaper rockets and
have space stations and lunar bases built accord
ing to the demand, without waiting on a U.S.
president to mandate it.
We must end the government’s monopoly on
space. If Americans want to see men on the
moon and Mars, rocketing toward the stars as we
have the potential to, we cannot allow the gov
ernment to hold our dreams down. By privatizing
the space program, we would undoubtedly see
technology leap forward faster than it ever has
before. Americans should see their money paid
for space programs not in the form of a check to
the IRS, but for a ticket to the moon.
Alike Walters is a senior
psychology major.
Jacko’s fans prove themselves equally bizarre
T he music blared last
Friday in Santa Maria,
Calif., from a sound
| truck a few feet away from
Michael Jackson as he enter-
jtained an estimated crowd of
more than 1,000 fans from
the hood of a black S.U.V.
Fans cheered and chanted
words of support and
endearment to the pop super-
star. Members from the Nation of
Islam provided the security and even
distributed invitations to attend an
after-party retreat at Jackson’s
Neverland Ranch. The New York
Times described the affair as “a
remarkable scene that mixed a court
room appearance with a frenzied
street carnival.” The spectacle
occurred immediately after Jackson
[left a court hearing to which he
arrived 15 minutes late and pleaded
[not guilty to nine felony charges.
Jackson’s tardiness and flamboy-
|ant display, while offensive to the
legal system, is hardly a troubling
issue. After all, the man is an enter
tainer. The disturbing matter, howev
er, pertains to the fans who applaud
NICHOLAS
DAVIS
ed and caroused with a man
charged with sexually molest
ing a child. These individuals
showed no respect for the
severity of the charges
Jackson currently faces. In
fact, many have already men
tally dismissed the nine
felony charges involving
seven counts of lewd acts
with a child and two counts
of administering an intoxicat
ing agent to a child to facilitate
abuse. While these individuals have
the right to voice their opinions, to
adamantly maintain Jackson is inno
cent without hearing all the details
pertaining to the case is sheer fool
ishness. If one looks at the prior con
duct of Jackson as it relates to chil
dren, it becomes apparent that these
current charges might have some
validity to them and must be taken
seriously, especially by his fans.
This is not the first time Michael
Jackson has been accused of molest
ing a child. As reported by the World
Net Daily, 10 years ago the parents
of a 13-year-old boy, Jordan
Chandler, accused Michael Jackson
of molesting their son during an
overnight stay at Neverland Ranch.
Subsequently, the parents dropped
the charge after a substantial sum of
money, estimated between $15 to 20
million, was deemed suitable com
pensation for the violation of their
child. As a result, Jackson’s contro
versial behavior has continued.
(jackson's) precarious
behavior with children
must not go unnoticed
and unsanctioned
simply because the court
has yet to rule on the
matter."
In a 2003 interview with British
journalist Martin Bashir, Jackson
admitted he still sleeps with children
in his bed. According to a Fox News
report, later that year, during a “60
Minutes” interview, Jackson respond
ed to a question regarding the accept
ability of sleeping in the same bed
with children by saying, “If you’re
going to be a pedophile, if you're
going to be Jack the Ripper, if you’re
going to be a murderer, it’s not a
good idea.” What, if anything, would
transform the practice into a good
thing? Clearly the man is reality-
impaired, and so are the fans who
ignore statements such as this one.
Now some will vehemently pro
claim Jackson should be considered
innocent until proven guilty, and they
are right. But that assertion merely
states the obvious. Indeed, the public
should refrain from condemning
Jackson prior to hearing all of the
evidence, but it should not immedi
ately exonerate him either. His pre
carious behavior with children must
not go unnoticed and unsanctioned
simply because the court has yet to
rule on the matter. Think about it.
What would happen to the average
citizen who chose to engage in a
similar lifestyle with children? They
would be shunned by society. Certain
standards must be upheld and the
practice of recreationally sleeping
with children should not be one of
them. Unfortunately, though.
Jackson’s celebrity status, in the
minds of many, justifies a little more
leeway. That is frightening.
Outside the courthouse and at the
Neverland shindig, the fans’ behavior
inadvertently sent a message:
Jackson’s conduct with children is
acceptable and the charge of child
molestation is trivial. These people
are at the very least, guilty of being
naive. Jackson’s behavior is hardly
acceptable and the charge, carrying a
maximum of 20 years, is certainly
not trivial. Jackson, for his part, bet
ter wise up and respect the severity
of the situation. The public should
wait on the evidence before deciding
to condemn or support him and
refrain from trying him merely in the
court of public opinion.
Nicholas Davis is a senior
political science major.
.egacy decision gives all equal chance
i
■ In response to Tessa Howington & Hon Layer's Jan. 20 mail
Mall:
■ I am disgusted at the way some people have reacted to the
removal of the legacy admissions policy. Some said that the
University has lost its “uniqueness” and that it “makes it harder
ffcr legacy students to get admitted.”
■ Maybe you guys have to actually read what its removal is. It
doesn't make it harder for legacies to get in, it just gives every
Applicant to Texas A&M an equal chance, do you get it? Don't try
berate President Gates because of his decision, I think it was
liir, and I don't believe that legacies should just be too overcon-
fi< ent that they will be admitted to our school over someone who
Has probably worked harder.
I Mr. Layer, if you think our school's “uniqueness” lies in the lega-
admissions policy, then you don't really think Texas A&M is
|iat unique if it's based solely on that. Come on, if an applicant
^serves to be at Texas A&M, then they will get in, and I believe
|ur school can do a great job in the coming years without this
)licy.
I For anyone who is angry their child might not get into A&M
without these four points, then honestly, they deserve to go
omewhere else. If you truly believe in the Aggie Spirit, then the
MAIL CALL
removal of the policy should not be something that would both
er you. There is no reason for the “colorful language” that Ms.
Howington threatens to use, it shows no class and that is truly
not the Aggie Spirit. Perhaps, she can direct her “colorful lan
guage” at me because I am very willing to discuss this issue
with her.
Onyinyechi Okoro
Class of 2006
O'Neill can't overshadow Bush's success
In response to Sommer Hamilton’s Jan. 20 column:
Bush is doing his job.’Citing O'Neill as proof of a corrupt pres
idential leadership is irresponsible for a journalist. You have
taken one man's opinion and presented it as truth. You suggest
that the war in Iraq has no merit and that Bush had been plan
ning it from the beginning. Well, you are right that it was on the
drawing board before Sept. 11(no one has denied that). In fact,
the situation in Iraq has been on the government's agenda for
12 years. This is called being responsible and prepared. Here
is merit for you. We had serious reason to believe that Iraq was
developing or about to develop weapons of mass destruction,
and although we have not found any, we have found mountains
of the material needed to develop them. It is also a very real
possibility that he destroyed them before we invaded. And what
about crimes against humanity? He was an evil tyrant who
murdered his own people. For decades liberals have fought for
“world peace,” and when we finally do something about it, all of
a sudden we are trigger-happy. The economy is rising, the
deserving people of Iraq are liberated, Bush is running an hon
est administration, and no book written by a guy who got fired
from the White House is going to change my opinion on that.
Sharia Parker
Class of 2003
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