"Give ma a break!"

you are indeed broken. no heart. no empathy. so sorry.

I guess if NASA is "phony", then most modern devices derived from space technologies are "phony" too. Thus, using technology is "phony". Barney, why are you on a "phony" computer? You must be "phony" too.

Yeah I bet the guy who says NASA is phony has direct TV lol...

Where is Your Flag?

I'm a truck driver so its natural you see, a lot of people don't think I
accept responsibility. Always on the road, always away from home,
just a happy-go-lucky life they think I live. They have no idea just
how hard the life of a trucker is or that home is all around me. And
so too are a lot of other things. Take our flag for instance. I see
it everywhere. Since September Eleventh it's sprouted up like wheat
on the Kansas prairie. And in fact it’s become so common a thing to
see, I am no longer surprised when I see it.

In truth it has become fashionable to wear the flag or its banner as a
part of your wardrobe. And that is so common that when not seen,
others wonder why you are not wearing a flag, or a ribbon of red,
white and blue. Trust me, they harbour no reserve in coming out and
confronting someone who isn't wearing the symbol of this great
nation. Why just the other day, a man I didn't know approached me in
a truck stop demanding to know: "Where is Your Flag?"

I answered him with, "It's right where it’s always been."
You see I understood his real question, which was, "Where is
your display of patriotism." He did not understand my real
response because he snapped back at me with: "Look here now, I'm
wearing my flag, where is yours?" I could see that indeed he was
"wearing his flag". Trouble is, it was backward and so
askew that I was not sure if he was in distress or just unkempt. But,
sure enough, he was wearing it. I answered him again, "My flag
is right where it's always been. And then I began to wonder: Where
was his flag? No, not the one I could see, but the one he
couldn't show me.

Where was his flag, on the 10th of September?

Where was his flag, when others like me were standing watch in the snow of
Valley Forge?

Where was his flag, when I stood guard at Fort McHenry, on a night filled
with fright?

Where was his flag, on the night before the attack on Fort Sumter, while I
sat in wonder at what the morrow would bring?

Where was his flag, in the days preceding the sinking of the Maine, in
Havana harbour?

And where was his flag, the day before the sinking of the Lusitania, or on Saturday the Sixth of December 1941?

Did he wear his flag, while my father and uncles were braving the foe at Inchon or
the Chinese and cold of the Frozen Chosin?

Where was his flag, while my brothers and I were braving heat and fear in
the steaming jungle and rice patties of South Vietnam?

Thank you for your service!!!!!! My grandfather was a POW in WWII. Some of the stories he has told us unimaginable. I am proud and grateful of anyone who serves this country!!!!!!

Thank you for that comment. People need to understand the difference between patriotism and nationalism. I saw a lot of nationalism after 9/11, but I didn't see much patriotism. We should all be ashamed at our token showing of love for our country. Cheap yellow ribbon magnets and blind support of downright un-American behavior is not loving your country. It's betraying it and the memory of all those who died to give you the rights you have today, which are being sold off to the forces of fear.

Question for those GOP folks who bashed Obama for not wearing his flag lapel pin:

I saw the GOP debate on TV. Where were the flag lapel pins? Only saw 2 of 8 candidates wearing them.

However, they shouldn't have to wear them anymore than Obama. See how ridiculous we have become?

Whilst I agree with some of what is said I will say this - attributing every modern technology development as coming from NASA is just as bad a statement- sure through NASA we have velcro and tempurpedic beds but to attribute Direct TV (presumably the point being made was the development of the communications satelites - which was developed by SciFi author Arthur C Clarke back in the 60s for communications) or the computer - computers have being developed for decades before Nasa and much of the technology has been driven by business, finance and medical researchneeds not NASA. I totally agree that Americans oftern confuse Nationalism with Patriotism.

arthur c clarke didn't invent the communications satellite, all he did was describe the orbit and stated a utility to that orbit.

Llance:

...Where is Your Flag?

....I'm a truck driver so its natural you see,...

You are no "truck driver" that is only how you put food on the table. You are the the quintessential patriot...the unsung hero, the hope that sustains the darkest night.

Watch out for those pseudo- patriots, essential cowards, who 'rape' this land and thrive on the sweat and blood of true patriots such as you - they talk the talk but walk NOT the walk as they send your kids to the grinder...laughing all the way to the Bank!

They are parasites on our society; our society is seduced by their false flag jingoist rants; our society foolishly rewards them at your expense: The True American we were destined to be. Not the Ugly Hated American they have made us...become.

Hang in there thoughtful man. Take care. And watch out...before they come for you...And do what they did to the Constitution in Satans name.

Yet we fear not...Our Flag is Safe in Your Heart!

It is my right as a Native American citizen to loathe this country.

Your side lost...get over it! You're welcome to leave if you wish...no one is stopping you. Let me ask one question first...do you or your tribe receive government welfare/housing/food? If so, you have no b*tch!

For your information The Tulalip Tribes is one of the wealthiest tribes in the U.S. and we make our own money. We actually donate millions to the white communities around us for a tax write off. So I'm not going anywhere this is my crappy country.

Maybe your tribe should help out some of the other ones...I've been through Browning, MT...what a sh*t hole it is. They can use all the help they can get. And to think, it is located just outside one of the most beautiful National Parks in the country (Galcier). I've been down around Custer...better send them some $$ as well. Pretty poor living conditions there also. Hell, now that I think about it, there haven't been too many reservations I have been impressed with.

oops...that's Glacier National Park...simply beautiful!

I'm with you, cantakenomore, & I dont give damn if "alost fraggle" is wealthy or not, what you have including freedom is due to the greatness of our country & the people who defend its freedom even for ingrates & self centered fools like that so called "native American. " If ya don't like us get out...

There is not a single ethnic people, or tribe, anywhere in the history of this world that has not both been pushed off its 'own' lands, while also pushing lesser, weaker people off their lands. It's called history, and has happened to every people, oft times repeatedly. Indians did it to Indians, too. The only difference here, is that he, and many like him, want to keep whining about it all these generations later... while no other dispossessed peoples do hundreds of years later. So his great-great-great-great (whatever) parents lost 'thier' land... which they disavowed to own, anyway. Who cares? Let him whine, it's of no concern of ours, and there's no reason to allow him to 'engage' you. He's trolling. More schmuck, you, if you allow him to enagage you...

Besides, you notice he DOES claim 'citizenship'? :)

It's not "our" country, the country is gone, and it’s over. All we have is a disgusting, East German style police state controlled by the billionaires and trillionaires of this world, Rockefeller and Rothschild. Our government isn't our government; it's all bought and paid for by those same Globalists. The CIA is their security force; they do not perform one single valuable service for this country. The military isn’t the United States Military, it’s the UN military. We don’t own property, we pay our taxes to the Rothschilds who own the Federal Reserve, and we have been scammed that long. You can deny all you want, but at the end of the day we have all been suckered into thinking that it's "our country". It's a scam, a fraud, a hoax, and the sooner we admit that the sooner we can work together to fix it. I do not believe a single word from the Media nor any government agency. We can work together or we will all die separate. I made my choice, I have been suckered and so have you. It's not our country. “Our” public government run school system was created to keep us dumb and in the dark, but look up and read history. I am out of my Fluoride induced trance, when will you break yours?

Original Americans have every right to complain. This country was stolen, not won. They were starved and conned into Reservations. Now we all live in one big Reservation so how does it feel "AMERICAN?" It embarrasses me as a white man to read such stupidity, you people think you own this country. The Original Americans didn't own this country, they shared it with each other, us New Americans don't share anything, and because of that we are now on a Reservation. They poison our water, they poison our food with GMOs, they steal our money right in front of our faces, and all you can do is defend the Biggest Mass Murder in world history, and since you don't know what that is it's what the American Government, and the people did to the Indians. Do you know where Hitler learned his craft? Ask an Native American, they know. I will never say one disrespecful word nor think I have that right to say anything to an Original American, nor a Muslim, or a Black man for that matter. We all should hang our heads in shame for what YOUR GOVERNMENT did to these people, these human beings.

alostfraggle,

I think it is very pathetic that you must use your Native American heritage as an excuse to hate America. Our for fathers are long gone and what is done is done. I am half Spanish, part Irish as well as German. All of my ancestry has some sort of conflict surrounding it as well do many others. These kinds of comments are what fuel racists and hate in our country. I don't care if you hate America, that is your choice, but do not use your ancestry as a crutch. It is a slap in the face to your proud heritage. The Native American people are a very fascinating group and I enjoyed studying them in College. I have seen too many of them fail because they believe the same thing you do and it is wrong. People need to take responsibility for their own actions and quit blaming people of other races and genders. It is your right to loathe this country because our soldiers gave us that right, not because you are Native American. I hope for your sake you have never actually told that to someone in person because you would look very ignorant and racist; believe me, this is coming from a person who is from Rapid City, SD.

Rich O...

We all should hang our heads in shame for what YOUR GOVERNMENT did to these people, these human beings.

hmmm, since you stated "YOUR GOVERNMENT", that supposes you are not a US citizen. And if you are not a US citizen, sorry, you have not votes in the matter. Hell, at least alostfraggle admitted to being a citizen...

If you are a US citizen and make comments like "YOUR GOVERNMENT", you are a traitor.

Which is it?

Leave it to the Real Americans to not only insult the people on the losing end of History, but to hate them for responding to it at all. OF COURSE Native Americans are still going to feel a sting from the way things went down. OF COURSE they should! It's not enough that we decimated their tribes in the name of expansionism, now we ridicule them for having feelings on the matter?

What our country did was messy and dishonest. That's not to say that other groups did not do the same thing, or even to say that this behavior wasn't par for the course. That would not make it right.

We did it, we benefit from it, and it pissed off a large group of people. You can feel as if we need to apologize or that we don't, but don't be surprised when people still harbor dissenting feelings about it.

Just as you said...paraphrasing...many countries exist because of messy beginnings. Guess what? I didn't live then, nor do I know anyone who did. I can only go back 2 generations to my grandfather...that's it!

My ancestors were pushed out of England for reasons of religious persecution...so what? That is history and we cannot rewrite it. We can learn and try to not make the same errors but to dwell on it for generations does no one any good. I'm from the south...should I teach my kids and grandchildren to hate and despise the Yankees (not the B-Ball team)? No, it's time reservations be removed and the people within them assimilate. We are either one nation or we aren't. Nations within a nation only serves to divide.

I completely agree. Native Americans are not on the loosing end of History. Both sides lost because both sides had horrible causalities. Why are people so focused on the terrors of the past? So many horrible things happened on both sides of the wars. I am not trying to insult anyone! I am simply stating the facts. People need to move on and stop blaming everyone else for their own thoughts and feelings. Like I said, I am part Irish. Should I hate America as well because my for fathers were repressed?! We are a melting pot of people, it is what makes this country great and different. We all need to accept the mistakes of EVERYONE and move on. What sting should the Native Americans of today feel? Were they there when their for fathers were killed? Were they there when they hunted the "white man"? Do they remember any of it? No they don't, this was over 100 years ago! Seriously? What pain and suffering can still go on? Did I mention that I have some Native American in me as well? You don't see me complaining and blaming others for my life and how it has turned out. I feel the sting of 9/11 because I was there. I ache for the families who suffered from the acts of terrorists. That is something worth remembering. Not something that happened over 100 years ago. I won't apologize for what my for fathers did because I was not there. I have nothing to apologize for. The spoiled Americans need to grow up and try to mend this country. People need to stop being rude and mean to each other and get along. We have turned into a bunch of 5 years olds pointing fingers and saying, "He started it!". You don't allow your children to do this; learn from what you preach.

cantakenomore

that was nicely put we all bleed red sorry for all these people hatred they need to understand we are human not one better that the other the earth is our home and it not just America all nations our responsible for are well being and until we can peacefully work together we're doomed

Seriously?-4091382

that was beautifully put and i agree

Native Americans, Blacks, Jews nneed to get over it we can't change the past done by the ignorant period dwelling on it only stirs the pot of hatred moving forward is the key getting along. I agree old wounds heal slow but if you keep poking at the wound it never heals it become infected I'm Black and Jewish I'm not crying about Sh@#$t I just want to live in a safe peaceful happy safe environment and if we all set aside our differences and get at the real issues at hand we could all live in peace

you people want to be mad and hate a group of people pedophiles and sex offenders child porn that's the real evil people hurting our children cause those people have no race or color and it's mainly ignored to a little side article in the papers and rarely covered in the news the people harming our children should be hunted down and eradicated sorry to jump off topic but it's the truth

what the f$%#@k

Thanks for the kind words...but boy, did we get off topic!?

I absolutely agree! :) What I find a little sad though is that something so good as NASA trying to do their part in remembering 9/11 turned into a pitty party.

cantakenomore,

Traitor?

I didn't vote for anyone of these guys, so I don't accept them as my Government. Hell, they aren't even the government. They are teleprompter readers, and they do what they are told. Besides that, are you saying that dissent towards this government IS TRAITOROUS? Than that makes our Founding Fathers traitors, but they were and that's why we had a revolution, but you already knew that.

And going to war because the UN said so isn't treasonous? You don't know what you're talking about, dissent for Your Government is as American as it gets. They are allowing the Banks to steal all of the money from all the people, the are allowing a Private Bank to print our money out of existence, do you even know what a traitor is? I love my country never the government. They are bought and paid for scumbags in suits and they have guns, that's it. When they abide by the Constitution and respect the Bill of Rights, I might listen to what they have to say. Then and only then. Traitor? You have no idea what a traitor is. I will work for the American people, native, black, brown whatever, not Your Government.

Better... hmmm....

I not sure about that. During times of disaster Americans come together for a second. Once the average person has had their fill of loathing, self pity, and attention - they go back to their regular douche self. Then it's back to 'I hate you, you hate me' choosing political sides and fighting over who's pile of sh*t smells worse. Pissing on the ones who are forced into wars that they have no choice over. Then yelling at the person next to you for pissing on them too - only because their piss is more yellow than yours. Americans in general are sacks of worthless, undeserving, crackpot excuses for citizens. Sure 'Americans' will fight back when it comes down to it but that's no indication of how they will act afterward.

Nice to see the comments have taken a respectful change since I started writing the post above 15 minutes ago!

themommiof4-4011486

Those that believe NASA is fake are not far off from those that think the Tea Party has enough clout and/or the agenda to kill our planet! Kind of a contradiction to call the Tea Party crazies and then worry that they could kill a planet! Good one...thanks for lightening things up!

The real space race of the 60s was not between US & USSR but between the science/industrial complex behind NASA and the Great Society of the super left (read Marxists). NASA's dead you won rejoice in your debt!

I agree. The people who actually built the rover are the kinds of people we should try to emulate, not scoff at from behind our burritos and Coke. It's a nice gesture from the smart ones, and I hope we humans do a better job in space and in the future than what can be seen on these message boards. If future civilizations come across the rover on Mars, they'll at least be impressed with our species and see that at least a small group could overcome hatred, fall far from the tree, and express the fullest human potential all while advancing technology to benefit the rest of us.

Oh my gosh. You're the reason other countries make fun of Americans trying to understand anything scientific.

I'll make it short. The rovers are on different sides of the planet, move at incredibly slow rates, and are constantly reprogrammed to avoid anything bigger than a baseball. They were designed to roll and take pictures and conduct very basic soil experiments.

They do not drive around like souped-up dunebuggies, and have no capability to 'repair' each other. Jeez, do you think they're 'Transformers' or something? You have seen too many movies.

Please.....never post anything again. Ever.

Nice idea, Sam, but Spirit and Oppy are on opposite sides of Mars. At the speed that Oppy travels it would take 7 centuries to drive that far.

Yes, the little guy has lasted WAY beyond her warranty, but I think that lasting another 700 years is a bit optimistic....

GetaClue - sorry to post after you. You are technically correct, and faster than me today.

Don't you think the "Please.....never post anything again. Ever." line is a bit harsh? I'd much rather chat about the Rovers than most of the other stuff posted on this thread.

GetaClue, that's an ironic name. Sam was just showing his support for the continuation of scientific exploration. No need to yell at him. By the way, we can see that you edited your angry rant and posted both versions.

The trouble with the internet is that someone who may know a little about something can log in and become internet tough guy, pushing around someone who may know less, but Invisible man in the sky help them when they come across someone who knows more. Sad really.

Maybe we should not be so concerned about Mars, Indians and Terrorist and be more concerned with how all this technology has increased distance between our families and neighbors. I can even remember in my youth how people gathered together to enjoy each other's company, but now, travel down any side street in any town or city and you don't even see kids playing anywhere anymore. The "scare tactic" of so many paranoid people is slowly devouring our basic rights. Maybe these cell phones, MP-3 players, land rovers, TVs, etc...., are part of the problem instead of the solution.

For the first time in human history we are exploring a whole new world. The Rovers are going where no one has gone before.

The costs are high, and the value of the science is a worthy debate. But to call their work "useless" is disingenuous and shows a lack of imagination.

The rallying cry of the Social Conservatives. Everything is a waste of money. Good thing they werent around 2 mil years ago. I see it now.

(Hit the blurred out screen flashback. Fade in 2 prehumans by an African tree)

"Lucy! Dont you know climbing down to the plain and using a rock as a tool is a waste of money?!" Lucy replies," Waaahh! Ricky I want to evolve and theres no such thing as money!"

"Youre reading that liberal MSNBC again arent you?", said Ricky.

"Oh Ricky someday our descendants are going to go to other worlds...well mine are, yours arent. Just stay in your tree and watch Faux news and read your Tea Party junk."

This, of course, requires some suspension of disbelief especially for those who dont believe in evolution.

Perhaps he is 9, or 12, or an adult who never had the opportunity to learn about this stuff.

A reasonable question deserves a reasonable answer. An honest question should not be ridiculed.

We are all ignorant of most things. Some of us know a bit more in one area or two, but that's it.