To the editor: In 1962, President John F. Kennedy said, “We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard.” In the successful Artemis II mission, we have witnessed the hard work, using America’s passion, and skills to begin our return to the moon in this decade (“Artemis II astronauts safely splash down off San Diego coast after historic moon mission,” April 10).
Is it asking too much to also put our passion and skills into the hard work of pursuing peace?
One prominent person in the news currently is one fueled by an insatiable thirst for revenge and retribution against individuals and nations. His words are not worth repeating. Another prominent person had something to say that is worth repeating: “I think as we go into Easter Sunday thinking about all the cultures all around the world — whether you celebrate it or not, whether you believe in God or not — this is an opportunity for us to remember where we are, who we are and that we are the same thing. And that we got to get through this together.”
Thank you Artemis pilot Victor Glover for those words, and thanks to many others pleading for unity, including Pope Leo XIV. Let us hope and pray those doing the hard work of peacemaking are listening.
John Saville, Corona
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To the editor: I confess that, in the past, I was not really that interested in the lunar expeditions. However, I was struck by the great contrast between the incredible accomplishments of the Artemis II mission and the behavior of the president of the United States during the same time period. Americans can be justly proud of the former and ashamed of the latter.
Roxane Winkler, Sherman Oaks
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To the editor: With all that I read, hear and see about humans going to the moon and Mars, I never read or hear about a cost-benefit analysis for the huge expenditures being spent to do this (“Artemis II does for our era what Apollo 8 did for 1968,” April 10). Other than the manufacturers behind the equipment and the employees at NASA, who benefits from this?
If we really need to do this (and I don’t see the need), can’t it be done by robots? Couldn’t all this money be better used on this planet with so many needs?
Herb Adelman, Del Mar