Why Do We Need a Space Program???

As usual, I am talking out of my butt here, so bear with me. I just think things up like a normal society member and said things come out of my mouth. Then you tell me I'm wrong and point me to some great sites with great information to prove me wrong and there we go. On this space program thing, I feel both ways, though and am flip-floppy about it so help me out here!

Okay, so we spend bazillions of dollars on this Going to Space thing. We have hungry people and uninsured people in our country. We are a nation in debt, have been for a long time and yet WE KEEP SPENDING MONEY. So, like, what I'm saying is that if the United States of America was my HOUSEHOLD, the good ole USA would have been foreclosed on and we all would have been kicked out a long time ago. And had our car repossessed. We would all (not just some of us) be living in a homeless shelter and on the streets.

My kidlets in front of some massively cool rocketship.

And yet ... space. Wow. The going there and the space station building there and the whole NASA complex ... It's like when I know we don't have any money but I whip out the CREDIT CARD and get something like a $107 trip to the Johnson Space Center ANYWAY. I know I shouldn't do it but it's just so COOL.

Eva McLoughlin goes to the moon

Mr. Kerrie and I were discussing this. I said I hate that we spend all that money, yes, and he also hates it and doesn't see the point. But when you see this junk up close it's like ... are you kidding me? A bunch of HUMANS did this? They made something with all the wires and situations so people can live in space? Pee in space? Eat in space? They had to think of EVERYTHING. The second we get home I am making my kids watch The Right Stuff, that's for sure.

Anyway, you know how when you work with someone at a job and they eff up everything and you are surprised they can even live a normal life because they can barely work their job without blowing up the place accidentally? Okay, so now think of all the engineers, etc. it takes to NOT MESS IT UP with the going to space. The MAGIC that happens to make it all come together. Yes, we have blown up some humans in space, but statistically speaking we have done an amazing job of getting them there and keeping them alive.

International Space Station mock-up and practice facility. I do love that we are working together with other countries on this project but how much does it cost?

And I also think about the future. My friend Christine Shuck is working on a book and I'm going to mess it all up here but basically it's like we have gotten a virus or something on Earth and we have to get the heck off of here. Where can we go? Another planet? Space in general? Living in space in a space vehicle like in Star Wars?

So back to those people we know who eff up everything, kinda like Spongebob Squarepants. Do you think it's possible that someday we might need off of here? Is it worth it to spend zillions of bucks to explore Mars on this Orion mission? Should we just stay here on Earth and take better care of it and spend our bucks on that instead?

Opinions welcome!