All the first astronauts do. They had no way of knowing if they'd live through any of it.

Science must be promoted and encouraged.

a legend and a true hero.The man (along with all the early astronauts ) had courage to spare.

...and it is likely he left explicit and humble instructions.

It's up to his family, of course, but I can't think of anything less controversial than a state funeral for this genuine hero.

While I'm here, can I share what - to me - where the words that thrilled me to bits that day in 1969, and which have moved to tears ever since?

No, it wasn't that bit about the small step and the giant leap and all that...

It was:

"The Eagle has landed"

I'm choking up, even now...

My tears are for the shame of the anti-science agenda.

...but the wishes of a guy who isn't around anymore may not be paramount.

to respect your last wishes?

...if they were my wishes, of course I would. That does not mean my wishes should necessarily be controlling. Suppose my last wish was to liquidate the family estate to build an expensive mausoleum to my memory? Is that really the best use of what were lately my assets?

Armstrong, whether he likes it or not, is a global icon. The country and the world need for him to lie in state.

if he and his family want his death to be private, then it should remain private. Wanting privacy and liquidated your estate to screw your family are two different kettle of fish.

I know he led a private life and most of us respected that. Hell, I didn't even ask to shake his hand when I saw him in a concert hallway once, but I knew he would not welcome the recognition. Still, in 1000 years no one will know who Barack Obama was, but they will remember Neil Armstrong, the first human to walk on another celestial body. If this were pre-modern times, we would deify him and write sagas that exaggerate his deeds to superhuman levels. His life belonged to himself. His memory belongs to the world.

Anyway, it's not like any of us have any real say in the matter.

He and the other astronauts deserve it for their going where no man had gone before. They certainly deserve it more than Reagan did, who has done more to destroy this country than any President before him.

Last edited Sun Aug 26, 2012, 10:27 PM - Edit history (1)

It still boggles the mind what he did. But he was so humble and unassuming many people didn't recognize him in public.

"A scientific colleague tells me about a recent trip to the New Guinea highlands where she visited a stone age culture hardly contacted by Western civilization. They were ignorant of wristwatches, soft drinks, and frozen food. But they knew about Apollo 11. They knew that humans had walked on the Moon. They knew the names of Armstrong and Aldrin and Collins. They wanted to know who was visiting the Moon these days."

-Carl Sagan.

Thanks for that

For a real hero

They'll probably claim that Obama refused to have one on the explicit instructions of the AQ or Hugo Chavez or something.

we need to go back to the Moon and then go to Mars. We should be back on the Moon in July 2019 for the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11.

Godspeed Neil!

This is very important

This is the last thing he wanted. He would tell you many thousands of men and women worked many more hours than him to make the moon landing possible. And he was irritated by people who did not know that already.

(Deserves it, but his wishes should absolutely be respected.)

but it must be offered and declined

do believe that is what he would wish. He was a very humble person. Honoring his wishes it what is really important. Maybe a more fitting tribute would be setting up a scholarship program that would exist to encourage young people who wanted to study a field relating to the aerospace industry. Or the people could come up with something else. Just an idea.

..... When he was a professor @ U.C. he went out of his way to be just that a teacher
of math and engineering and he had no time for students/faculty/others who wanted to
"gawk at him." Mr. Armstrong is a son of Ohio and the midwest and his roots were in
doing good instead of looking good and those roots go way beyond politics, money, and
show he was truly part of the greatest generation.

He died here in Columbus, OH yesterday but nobody* in Columbus knew he was here or in what
hospital either. Neil Armstrong up until the end was a private man.**

* outside of family and hospital staff.

** To see the public Neil visit his Museum in Wapakoneta, OH or the Smithsonian in DC.

& commit to the hard work it takes to get there.

We have rested on our laurels for a very long time & neglected to take care of that which takes care of us (Earth) & are about to be slapped down a peg or two.

Wish I had responded to the thread about where we could have been if we had followed through on the space program instead of endless war. Such a squandering.

That is this century's human legacy . . . a squandering. A squandering of resources. A squandering of potential. A squandering of opportunity. A squandering of time. Precious time.

All for the profit of a few.

on edit: A tee shirt I saw & liked:

Earth without Art is just Eh.