Every time I read a report about the discovery of a planet or planetary system somewhere out there in space, I feel hope for our future. My hope is that one day not only will we know for sure that there are planets out there which are capable of supporting human life but that we will have the technology to travel to them. I believe that once we have accomplished this, we can solve the most pressing problems that our planet faces: We can tell people who don't want to share space with those who are not like them to go find some other place to live.
Yes, it is my fond wish that someday we can tell Islamists and Christian Reconstructionists and all other manner of religious extremists to pick a planet and set up shop on it. Someday I hope that anyone who believes that a certain class of people are, by accident of their birth or heritage, unfit to breathe the same air as they will be able to boldly go someplace where they can be sure that all of the cohabitants of their world meet their criteria for being allowed to live. Don't like blacks/whites/men/women/gays/Jews/capitalists/Freemasons/left-handed people/supermodels? Go start your own planet where such people aren't allowed, and take along everyone who agrees with you. I assure you, those of us who are left behind will not miss you.
Every day when I read about what this group is doing to that group and why these people hate those people, I look for a story that tells me that we're making progress on this dream. I hope I live to see it.
Posted by Charles Kuffner on April 03, 2002 to Around the worldHey, it worked well for Europe when they exported their malcontents and extremists to the New World.
Some Christian extremists might buy it. Not sure if Islamic extremists would, however -- their faith seems very tied up with certain pieces of real estate on this planet. Ditto Jewish extremists. And there are the Christian Zionists, who are not so much personally interested in claiming the Holy Land for themselves, as influencing geopolitics so that the Jews get it.
However, Kim Stanley Robinson's Mars trilogy does include some observant Muslim characters, who pray to Mecca while on Mars by using their computers to locate which direction Earth is in at any given time.
Posted by: Geheimbundler on May 25, 2004 9:47 AMI find it very interesting that Cory Burnell thinks he can set up shop in South Carolina and start a nice little cult for the nation to enjoy. The next thing you know these people will be drinking the kool aid. We need a new generation of panicked, fear-stricken lunatics to settle into one area in an attempt to take over the country. It's just been too long since we, the people, have been able to be shocked and mortified (or amused) by the unfortunate viewpoints of a sad, sad group.
Cory Burnell plans to move thousands of people to South Carolina to take over the polls and "protect our God-given and constitutionally protected rights within our local community." Moving slowly, but surely, he wants to work his way through the government. Do I hear a presidential calling in the future? I truly hope not! This country is already going into the shi**er as it is!
i find it exciting too when in the newspaper the find something new in spaec.I feel like theres life on another planet and we might not be the only ones out there
Posted by: ron on December 18, 2006 12:25 PM