Ex-astronaut Aldrin accused of punching man

CNN ^ | September 10, 2002

[TomB]

BEVERLY HILLS, California (Reuters) -- A man who publicly confronted astronaut Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin over whether he actually went to the moon said that the Apollo 11 hero almost sent him into space with a punch to the jaw.

Bart Sibrel, an independent filmmaker from Nashville, Tennessee, said he was trying to conduct an ambush interview with Aldrin outside a hotel in Beverly Hills when the astronaut punched him and ran away.

[Alas Babylon!]

Aldrin should not face any charges on this, and Sibrel shou8ld be charged with stalking, and when found guilty beaten up by current Space Shuttle astronauts.

[The Great Satan]

Sibril's new book, "Stupid White Astronauts," is sure to be a big hit with the DU crowd.

[Defend the Second]

When I was a kid I watched every one of the Apollo missions leave the Cape. I was three miles away, sitting on the causeway next to the VAB. They were, and are, the most impressive thing I have ever seen, or ever expect to see. I know they made it to the moon, walked on it, and returned safely. I have shaken hands with several of the men who did it, and do not doubt their integrity. It is a very sad commentary about the state of American education that we even have to refute crap like this.

If anyone knows Mr. Aldrin's email address I would like to send him a note of support, and maybe a pair of brass knuckles for his next encounter with this prick.

[1Old Pro]

Sibrel, 37, said he reported the assault to police and was seeking an assault charge against the 72-year-old astronaut.

WHAT A WIMP. Buzz should have stuffed his tin foil hat down his throat and thrown him into the showers with the moose and cheese.

[Billthedrill]

Well, I've heard it asserted that violence doesn't solve anything...perhaps Aldrin ought to try it a few more times in the spirit of scientific inquiry...

[paul51]

37 year old punk confronts and harasses 72 year old and then cries when he gets punched. Where do I sign up for the jury on this one?

[Gumlegs]

I believe you omitted a very important phrase from the headline ...

Ex-astronaut Aldrin accused of punching man ... Just Not Hard Enough

[nightdriver]

"The encounter with Aldrin was Sibrel's third since he said he discovered footage in NASA's archives showing that the Apollo 11 astronauts had placed a transparency of the Earth in front of their space capsule window and videotaped it to simulate a journey to the moon."

Watching the wierd way the flag that they planted flew, the way the dust dropped back to the surface after they kicked it up, and the speed of the pendulum they put in front of the camera convinced me that they were where they said they were.

By the way, I don't believe they had a video camera with them. The 1969-vintage video camera was a bit heavy for inclusion aboard the Apollo.

[WyldKard]

Go Buzz! This boy is a punk!

[The Great Satan]

One small thump for a man, one giant leap for mankind.

[Robe]

You could hear the " thunk"

Loved it !!

[the_doc]

Very strange.

[weegee]

Aldrin should counter sue charging libel and slander for calling him a "liar". His settlement for damages would far outweigh any penalty for "assault".

If someone provokes an attack, when is violence a warranted response (legally)? I've heard that when someone burns a flag, someone attacking the burner can claim with some justification "provocation".

[Eric in the Ozarks]

What a jerk. He got what he was asking for.

[apillar]

This "so-called" reporter should just be glad he didn't confront Buzz in his prime. They would have been wiring pieces of his jaw back together for weeks!

[vin-one]

I saw that last night, I about fell down laughing at bill, holding his nose. He looked like he was going to die, way to go eric.......

[weegee]

I think a restraining order against Sibrel is in order. "Ambush interviews" for crackpot videos shows the possibility of an unstable mind. Keep that man away!

[Defend the Second]

They had a video camera with them. All the video was broadcast live back to earth. Film would have had to wait till they returned in order for us to see it.

This first two missions (11 and 12) used black and white video cameras. The one used for 12 was burned out after a few minutes when one of the astronauts (Conrad or Bean, don't remember which) accidentally pointed it at the sun. The one on 13 was never used because that one never landed. Starting with Apollo 14 (Alan Shepard's mission) the cameras were color. By the time we got to the last mission, Apollo 17, the cameras were dramatically improved, providing quality nearly as good as the images you saw on the evening news every night.

[vin-one]

If that is the footage I saw this morning, I never did hear the news, It looked to me like a good right cross, dead on bulls eye to the chin. I have a new hightened respect for Mr. Aldrin. Now there's a real man....

[Mamzelle]

(shrug)--astronauts are just passengers, anyway. Never could figure out the fuss made over them.