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STARSHIP DARPA - Add American Poets to your Specifications.
  1. Signatures
    65 out of 10,000,000
    Petitioning
    1. David Neyland, Director, DARPA Office of Tactical Technology (+ 4 others)
      Petitioning
      close
      • David Neyland, Director, DARPA Office of Tactical Technology
      • Senator Jay Rockerfeller (WV)
      • Jack Boyd, Director, History Office, Ames/NASA Research Center
      • Rep. Ralph Hall (TX)
      • Program Manager, DARPA Tactical Technology Office (Paul Eremenko)
  2. Created By
    red slider
    Sacramento, CA
About this Petition Petition Letter Petition Updates

[also see the sister petition, 'Mission Accomplished'  at  http://www.change.org/petitions/save-nasa-restore-the-vision-and-glory-it-once-had ]

                

American poets, from Concord bridge and "the shot heard round the world," to "The Road Not Taken" have served as the guardians and pathfinders for the visionary soul of our nation. Yet, curiously, they do not even appear on the list of occupational titles within one of the most visionary projects our country ever engaged - NASA and its many spaceflight missions.

                   WHERE ARE THE POETS?  WHERE ARE THE POEMS?

It is our American poets, among the best in the world, who are most able to inspire, celebrate and advance the vision of the future. It is they, more than any, who are able to portray the people, events, ambitions and, yes, even failures of those projects that carry the dreams of America forward. To neglect to include them from the very outset as specifications in one of our most ambitious undertakings, ever, is an oversight with serious consequences, for ourselves and our future.

           TO HEAL THE HEART AND REPAIR THE SOUL OF AMERICA

For half-a-century, NASA served as the central repository of America's visionary soul. NASA is now being dismantled. It's assets are being liquidated; much of its staff, among the brightest and best in the world, are being scattered to the winds, teams broken, jobs lost. There are many reasons for this happening, but the fact remains, it is happening and it endangers America's future. American poets, also among the best in the world, were never on NASA's staff. There was not even an occupational category for them. Had they been there from the beginning, they might have created the words, the poems, the documents and celebration that would have inspired all of us and prevented this short-sighted mistake of a nation unmindful of what actually propels its visions.

DARPA's announcement to fund an initial look into the future potentials of star-travel is in the same spirit. Establishing a public 'Office of Poetry' (within DARPA or the AMES/NASA organizations) is of critical importance; now, and at its very inception. As President Kennedy said, "...ask, why not?"

                                       PUT POETS IN PUBLIC PLACES

Let us not, as a nation, as a leader in promoting  visions for our future generations, make the same mistake twice. Create an "Office of Poetry", make its first assignment be to have poets report and celebrate the activities, people and progress of the DARPA starship initiative; to preserve the visionary soul of our country and to inspire the world.

Why People Are Signing
Recent Signatures

Create a public "Office of Poetry" for the DARPA starship initiative.

Greetings,

I just signed the following petition addressed to: David Neyland, Director, DARPA Office of Tactical Technology and Jack Boyd, Director, History Office, NASA/AMES. Let's not make the same mistake twice. Include a public "Office of Poetry" in the DARPA starship initiative.

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Create a public "Office of Poetry" for the DARPA starship initiative.

American poets, from Concord bridge and "the shot heard round the world," to "The Road Not Taken" have served as the guardians and pathfinders of the visionary soul of our nation. Yet, curiously, they do not even appear on the list of occupational titles within one of the most visionary projects our country ever engaged - NASA and its spaceflight missions.

It is our American poets, among the best in the world, who are most able to inspire, celebrate and advance the vision of the future. It is they, more than any, who are able to portray the people, events, ambitions and, yes, even failures of those projects that carry the dreams of America forward. To neglect to include them, from the very outset of our most adventurous undertakings is an oversight with serious consequences, for ourselves and our future.

For half-a-century, NASA served as the central repository of Americas visionary soul. NASA is now being dismantled. It's assets are being liquidated; much of its staff, among the brightest and best in the world, are being scattered to the winds, teams broken, jobs lost. There are many reasons for this happening, but the fact remains, it is happening. American poets, also among the best in the world, were never on NASA's staff. There was not even an occupational category for them. Had they been there from the beginning, they might have created the words, the poems, the documents that would have inspired all of us and prevented this short-sighted mistake of a nation unmindful of what actually propels its visions.

DARPA's announcement to funding an initial look into the future potentials of star-travel is in the same spirit. Establishing a public 'Office of Poetry' (within DARPA or the AMES/NASA organizations) is of critical importance; now, at its very inception.

Let us not, as a nation, as a leader in promoting the visions of the future, make the same mistake twice. Create an "Office of Poetry", make its new assignment be to report and celebrate the activities, people and progress of the DARPA starship mission, to preserve the visionary soul of our country and to inspire the world.
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Sincerely,

[Your name]

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