State Of The Union Address

[Princess 35]

That it is. My dad was unemployed from Feb to November of last year. He applied for all kind of jobs and was unable to draw unemployment during that time. My mom was the provider for our family.

[Radioactive Isotope 29]

we had a huge discussion in my US History class on welfare and the like. we came to the conclusion that it's a crappy system. yeah, sure, some people use it the way it was meant to be used: as a hand up. but, the vast majority just use it so they don't have to get a job and work like the rest of us. and, yes, the healthcare in this country is terrible. i would love to see a nation-wide plan similar to Canada's, but of course, that costs money that those in Congress would like to devote to other endevors.

[Drake 53]

that costs money that those in Congress would like to devote to other endevors.

Such as war.

ps. That wasn't meant as an insult to the States or anything...just a fact.

[Radioactive Isotope 29]

exactly. and why Bush wants to restart the space program when we still have a war to finish is beyond me. personally, i'd say go for it, and Mars, here we come. but finish with the war first.

[chozen 1]

No.. The space program can go on hold. Sort out the problems on this planet before we screw up another.

[Andy 60]

To be fair, we'll most likely never solve our problems here on Earth, and wherever we go from here they will follow us.

[Drake 53]

The problem with the space problem is that they never get anywhere these days. One president will make a statement about going to the moon or Mars or whatnot then the next bureaucrat will come along and axe the project, putting the money into something else. You see, most presidents will only put funding into projects that will boost their popularity for the 4 years that they're in office....they don't usually look 20 years into the future.

[chozen 1]

Or they could be scared if they make a faliure again like in the 1969 space race.

[Ender 8]

There is NOTHING stopping ANYONE in this country from living comfortably. You just have to be willing to work at it. And, unfortunately, not a lot of people are willing to work anymore.

Amen.

I agree with about everything Pod said, so I'm not going to repeat everything. I do think, however, that Edward Kennedy's behavior was inexcusable. I dont care if you're Democrat, Republican, Independent, or whatever, but you do NOT treat the President of the United States like that.

[chozen 1]

eh.. what are you going to do? Would you have acted any different if it was Gore up there?

[Ender 8]

I wouldnt have sat there, rolling my eyes, shaking my head, etcetera.

[Pandora 77]

And neither would I, ESPECIALLY not on national news, REALLY especially in war time, no matter how much I disagreed with whatever a democratic was doing. You don't have to respect the man, but you MUST respect the office, no exceptions. You can be as extreme as you want to be, but you must still respect your superiors, and treat them in the same courtesy you'd expect had you been in their position. It's the people that know the right and proper way to oppose a leader that make the real changes that matter.

As for NASA. I think it's great Bush is looking to the future of the space program. It's one of the few things left to explore thoroughly. I believe that if we as a human race were to know everything, and run out of new places to go, then our species will fail. Sounds a little crazy, doesn't it. but so did looking for a new way to get around Africa. What came of that? America. Face it, the world population is steadily rising, and land mass isn't rising with it. A lot of land can't be industrialized: farmlands, uninhabitable tundras, etc. We can't build out, we must build up. But we'll only be able to go so far up. Eventually, we're going to be forced to break our only limits: the sky, and gravity. Mars is the most practical solution. Go on, laugh, but it's true. It has a good atmosphere, it's just full of the wrong stuff. But it's the only other planet that is close enough, yet far enough away from the sun to be remotely hospitable. Not that we're going to be able to conquer the year-long dust storms and 200-degrees below zero temperatures over night. But it will never get done if we don't start thinking about it, and planning for it NOW.