Skip to comments.
The Green Hills Of Earth, Thread for The Shuttle.
February 1, 2003
| Luis Gonzalez
Posted on 02/01/2003 7:17:13 AM PST by Luis Gonzalez
The Green Hills of Earth
Let the sweet fresh breezes heal me
As they rove around the girth
Of our lovely mother planet
Of the cool, green hills of Earth.
We rot in the moulds of Venus,
We retch at her tainted breath.
Foul are her flooded jungles,
Crawling with unclean death.
[ --- the harsh bright soil of Luna ---
--- Saturn's rainbow rings ---
--- the frozen night of Titan --- ]
We've tried each spinning space mote
And reckoned its true worth:
Take us back again to the homes of men
On the cool, green hills of Earth.
The arching sky is calling
Spacemen back to their trade.
ALL HANDS! STAND BY! FREE FALLING!
And the lights below us fade.
Out ride the sons of Terra,
Far drives the thundering jet,
Up leaps a race of Earthmen,
Out, far, and onward yet ---
We pray for one last landing
On the globe that gave us birth;
Let us rest our eyes on the friendly skies
And the cool, green hills of Earth.
Robert A. Heinlein
TOPICS: Culture/Society; Front Page News; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: columbiatragedy; feb12003; nasa; shuttleexplosion; spaceshuttle
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20, 21-40, 41-60, 61-80 ... 121-133 next last
To: Luis Gonzalez
Thanks for this thread, Luis.
I'm struck, in this tragedy, that the Shuttle Columbia was carrying the first Israeli astronaut, a hero of the 1981 bombing of the Osirak nuclear reactor in Iraq, and the debris came down over Palestine, Texas. All on the eve of another war in the Mideast, which will involve the U.S., Israel, Iraq, and Palestine.
No human design could lay beneath this. There is much to mourn and ponder this morning.
To: weikel
They are resting comfortably, craddled in the vastness of His hands.
42
posted on
02/01/2003 8:14:43 AM PST
by
Luis Gonzalez
(The Ever So Humble Banana Republican)
To: JohnHuang2; Luis Gonzalez
Thank you both for bringing a touch of beauty to this terrible day.
God is holding them in his hand.
To: Sabertooth
It wasn't terrorism or sabotage NASA security is pretty damn tight. No this was an equipment failure.
44
posted on
02/01/2003 8:16:40 AM PST
by
weikel
(Your commie has no regard for human life not even his own)
To: Sabertooth
"There is much to mourn and ponder this morning."Indeed there is.
45
posted on
02/01/2003 8:19:27 AM PST
by
Luis Gonzalez
(The Ever So Humble Banana Republican)
To: Luis Gonzalez
A most appropriate post! Heinlein himself would say that we shouldn't let this stop us, but should instead expand and concentrate our efforts on more efficient spaceflight.
And, as an aside, I'm so glad that we have George W. Bush as our leader right now- a man more likely to say "We must not quit, but instead accelerate our efforts, to honor their memory", than "this isn't safe, and it's too expensive, and I"m shutting it down".
To: weikel
It wasn't terrorism or sabotage NASA security is pretty damn tight. No this was an equipment failure.
I agree. I don't believe this disaster is the result of any human plan. At times like this, we plumb the deeper meanings, beyond the material realm.
To: Sabertooth
So you take this as a sign from God( or the Gods or whatever you believe in)... yeah its kinda ominous. What do you think its a sign of?
48
posted on
02/01/2003 8:25:49 AM PST
by
weikel
(Your commie has no regard for human life not even his own)
To: Luis Gonzalez
Thanks Luis, 'nuf said.
Garde la Foi, mes amis! Nous nous sommes les sauveurs de la République! Maintenant et Toujours!
(Keep the Faith, my friends! We are the saviors of the Republic! Now and Forever!)
LonePalm, le Républicain du verre cassé (The Broken Glass Republican)
49
posted on
02/01/2003 8:27:31 AM PST
by
LonePalm
(The Son of a Son of a Sailor.)
To: weikel; Luis Gonzalez
yeah its kinda ominous. What do you think its a sign of?
Sorting through it. I have some thoughts, but it's early. This probably won't be the thread where I speculate, I'm not sure it would be appropriate. I'll flag you if I come up with anything coherent.
Thanks for your comments on the other site, BTW.
To: Luis Gonzalez
To: William Wallace; Victoria Delsoul; Prodigal Daughter; afraidfortherepublic; JohnHuang2; Budge; ...
Pray for the crew, pray for their familes, and for the ones left behind who will continue to tame the winds of space and reach for the stars.
We go on.
53
posted on
02/01/2003 8:34:45 AM PST
by
Luis Gonzalez
(The Ever So Humble Banana Republican)
To: TexasBarak
A most appropriate post! Heinlein himself would say that we shouldn't let this stop us, but should instead expand and concentrate our efforts on more efficient spaceflight. I think Heinlein would say this is a wake up call. That we have become complacent about space and that this sad incident can kick start us again to beging progressing in space use.
17 years between such disasters is not bad (small consolation). 17 years and the same model, same tech, no progress is not good.
These great heros who've perished never die in vain.
Yet in our vanities we can not always recognize all their gifts. Let's try not to do that.
To: Luis Gonzalez
Re: 53 -- beautifully stated, hermano. You've captured the mood exactly.
To: TexasBarak
We go on.
It's what we have to do, it's what they would ask of us.
We go on.
56
posted on
02/01/2003 8:37:00 AM PST
by
Luis Gonzalez
(The Ever So Humble Banana Republican)
To: Luis Gonzalez
Very beautiful and timely. It is such a sad day.
57
posted on
02/01/2003 8:37:43 AM PST
by
sweetliberty
(Having the right to do a thing is not at all the same thing as being right in doing it)
To: tallhappy
Strange that this happened within four days of the anniversary of the only other shuttle disaster.
58
posted on
02/01/2003 8:41:09 AM PST
by
giotto
To: Luis Gonzalez
Glad you did this. It deserves its own thread imo.
59
posted on
02/01/2003 8:42:41 AM PST
by
My back yard
(God Bless them all, and prayers for the families.)
To: My back yard
It does.
60
posted on
02/01/2003 8:43:34 AM PST
by
Luis Gonzalez
(The Ever So Humble Banana Republican)
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20, 21-40, 41-60, 61-80 ... 121-133 next last
Disclaimer:
Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual
posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its
management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the
exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson