Dear Mr. President,
This weekend I spent celebrating Planetfest '21. Planetfest is a yearly celebration and gala hosted by The Planetary Society, a group the strives to promote space in every aspect known to man. They started in the 1980's and their first Planetfest was in 1981. But this was my first Planetfest--40 years after that first one.
I can't put into words well just how much being a part of The Planetary Society and celebrating this event with them (albeit virtually due to the pandemic,) meant to me. But I will try.
When I was a little girl, I found a book about constellations in one of those old paper handouts that teachers gave to students from booksellers. It was meant to promote reading, I think. But I got that book and read it, and the idea that the stars had stories to them!--that began my life-long love affair with space.
I am no scientist or even a really great thinker; I'm certainly not a whiz a math, but I do love a good story.. One of the greatest space storytellers of our time, I think, was Carl Sagan. Bill Nye, who was once one of his students, still sits as the CEO of The Planetary Society (TPS,) and while I never did see his television show, his enthusiasm and cherished goofiness make him a great successor to Sagan--one of the founders of TPS.
I cannot wait until we can gather together again in person, Mr. President, as this will be one of the events that fills my soul with real joy. I am thinking about becoming one of their ambassadors next year--people who head to Washington D. C. to address their lawmakers in Congress about the importance of space exploration and being a champion for space.
This Thursday the Perseverance Rover will (hopefully) land on the surface of Mars. It's super exciting! And as I'm sure you've heard, China and the UAE also had missions arrive at Mars this week. That is something that I found myself struggling with somewhat, and then simply wanting to embrace--the idea that space efforts bring countries together. They break down barriers and serve as a pathway for diplomacy and cooperation in a way that I don't think any other endeavor does. And while I understand this can be difficult sometimes, I think it is a trend that should continue.
For as far back as I can remember, the scientific community has worked together around the world--probably far better than our own governments do. Perhaps it is because they have a common desire to learn and study and understand things; maybe it is that common language that makes it so much easier. I would like to hope that space can be our common language to engage the rest of the world, though, Sir. Of all the great mysteries of our lives, it is a common thread and helps us to understand ourselves better the more we learn about it. Space exploration is also a language of hope--a way to see ourselves from a different perspective, and I've heard that having different perspectives is a good thing.
Listening to the various panels, I learned a LOT about Mars, but also about space as an industry--as a cultivator for cooperation and growth. It is, I think, one of the most unique fields in the economic sphere, as getting ourselves out into space isn't easy and therefor requires a lot of cooperation, even among competitors. This is something that sparks the imagination--making me wonder, for instance, how much more advanced we'd be if companies sought to work together in some endeavors rather than seeking to have the most customers. Would there be more room for innovation? Research? More money to invest in the architecture and services needed to ensure more successful endeavors? It's definitely an interesting business, and I hope if you get a chance, that you'll meet with some space industry leaders and those who advocate for more education and exploration in space, like TPS. Their hope and enthusiasm are something I would certainly like to see more of. And their emphasis on science education in particular is a real boon to not only this country, but other countries as well.
Also, I hope you'll be there to see Perseverance's landing, and I hope you'll say something about it, too. It's a great opportunity to showcase our partnerships both within the US and abroad.
You've caught some slack for not chatting with Israel's Prime Minister this week. I can't say I know what that's all about, but I guess it's nice to know that people want to be recognized by us? Too, it certainly doesn't hurt to hear what they have to say.
I read somewhere after the acquittal of your predecessor (yet again,) that our country is in a state of Constitutional rot--where partisanship means more than doing the right thing; where winning is more important than abiding by some commonly held good for the nation--almost as if right and wrong didn't exist, only the appearance of them. It makes me sad to see that. And I'm worried that your predecessor will seek re-election at some point. And yes, I've heard the arguments about how the House rushed things--about how this was done in a manner that seemed more about show rather than an adherence to established law, but if we can't call a spade a spade at the end of the day, is there really any chance to set aside our differences about other things? Once again, I find myself hating the need to court money for re-elections. I find myself angry that there are people working in the House and Senate who make more than minimum wage--who still collect their paychecks even when they can't go to work, when so many other Americans don't even have that. I'm angry that they care more about votes than about doing the right thing, and I fear what moral bankruptcy means for our country.
That said, I am looking forward to your town hall on Tuesday. Hopefully I'll be able to watch, though I know we have plans that evening to meet up virtually with some friends for a "metal crew" happy hour. Last January before the pandemic set in, John (my fiance,) and I went on a cruise called "70,000 Tons of Metal." There are so many different kinds of metal, Mr. President, and while I understand that it's not for everyone, there is something therapeutic about headbanging and screaming along with lyrics sometimes. Sometimes ya just gotta get all that pent up tension out.
People still seem pretty focused on foreign policy, which is fine, I guess. That's important, after all. But we have an infrastructure problem here in our country. Of note, I'm looking at some articles about foreign policy affairs (for the US,) but also a The New Yorker article about getting broadband into rural areas. My parents, for example, live off a highway in Texas, and while you'd think they'd have good internet, there isn't much there besides satellite. And since they live in a pretty tree-y area, that doesn't always work well for them. They also can't really afford to get broadband out there, as the companies won't pay for it unless the whole neighborhood wants it. Likewise, the pricing options make it difficult for them to be able to afford dedicated internet to the house; so, they only have limited amounts of data they can use. Can you imagine trying to navigate the world these days with limited data and no broadband, Mr. President? It seems pretty awful that these things aren't available for everyone.
Of course, that's not counting all the bridges, roads, dams, and other projects that need funding badly. I guess you have to do it through government grants to companies so they can hire workers and the like, but maybe consider looking at hiring more engineers and such for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers? Or better yet, make a civilian division that can employ people who, while not fit to be in the army, can still do valuable and vital work for the country. It frustrates me to see us putting money into a new $1bn missile refurbishment and upgrade program, but our roads, bridges, and dams (and environmental programs designed to move us toward being carbon neutral,) are getting so little attention. I know you're not Congress; I know you don't make the laws, but you are the face of the nation, and you and your teams can get peoples' support if you try.
Still, ...I know you're working on COVID. It's probably the only big project for your first year as President, but we need to be looking beyond that, too.
I talked to John's aunt just the other day, and all ready there are worries that once the rent moratoriums are gone, the housing market is going to collapse. We can't afford another 2008 on our hands--not right after COVID.
So...I know everything seems to be piling up on your desk, Mr. President, and I know the problems we're facing are pretty big ones. But I'm doing my best to remain positive. Maybe that's the one thing America really is great at, and I hope you'll keep reminding us of that by being and setting a good example for us all.
One last note: I read the story about your staffer and the threat he made to a journalist, and I have to say that I'm glad he chose to resign. I expect you might well have fired him, but allowing him that bit of dignity might well have saved his future career. That said, that's the kind of attitude that I imagine most of us out here think people where you are (people in positions of power,) have toward us plebs. It's hard for us to feel sympathy or empathy with you all, because we don't have that kind of power. We're not out here threatening to end peoples' careers if they screw us over. We mostly just get screwed over if we make mistakes--the kind that can destroy our lives for years, or even forever. It's good to want to be mindful of the fates of those who work for you, but we want someone out here fighting for our fates, too, Sir.
There are a lot of unjust laws here in America--or maybe they're just unjustly meted out depending on how much money or power you have. But that needs to end, and we need to work hard toward that end.
Anyway....this letter got a little long, and I hate ending it on a darker note like that. But I think we're all longing for something better in our lives. We want to be proud of the people who represent us--to feel like they're people like us, just trying to get by. And we want to be able to look to the future with hope in our hearts--that things are going to be better than they were today and the next and so on.
So, keep at it, Mr. President. We'll get through this, and when we do, let's sit down sometime and have a beer together so you can remember that you're only human like the rest of us, and the rest of us can share that story about that one time we got a chance to have a beer with that guy in the White House who works for us.
He's a pretty cool guy, I think.
Until next week, Mr. President, I remain a loyal citizen and dedicated space fan; (a space fan sounds pretty cool, actually. I bet someone's already thought of that.....)
~~ Jenni
P. S. Happy Valentine's Day! I almost forgot. And here my love is cooking me dinner downstairs while I write this to you. >.< <3
me, at home, on the last day of Planetfest '21
