Letters to the Editor: Yes, the Artemis mission did unite us. But don’t thank Trump for that

To the editor: While contributing writer Josh Hammer starts out with the widely felt and proper hope that the latest excursion into the solar system is good for the country and our psyche, he quickly launches into sycophant mode with the insertion of his favorite two themes: President Trump/MAGA and nationalistic religious fervor as the impetus for our return to space (“Artemis mission captures the spirit of unity America has needed,” April 9).

Nothing could be further from the truth. He claims MAGA is a call for national renewal. It is not. It has manifested as an insular call for a return to authoritarian power in violation of the Constitution with hatred and cruelty for all who do not agree.

The fact is that Trump proposes slashing NASA’s budget by 23%. That would cut NASA’s science division budget by 47%, canceling more than 40 projects, 20 of which are currently underway. In a recent Michael Hiltzik column, Casey Drier, chief of space policy at the Planetary Society, said it would be “an extinction-level event for science” (“Exploring the moon while cutting NASA? Why Trump’s 2027 budget misfires,” April 7).

Hammer goes on to correlate the return to the solar system as a function of his previously expressed nationalistic version of Judeo/Christian ethos, as if it is God’s will that gets us there. While heartfelt individual faith of any kind is an intensely private and legitimate experience, what got us there in the ‘60s and ‘70s and again today is science. Pure and simple by virtue of the scientific method.

Neal Rosenthal, Woodland Hills

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To the editor: I agree with Hammer that, as the headline reads, the “Artemis mission captures the spirit of unity America has needed.” He gives credit to Trump and the MAGA movement for making this possible, but they are not uniting America. What I see is diversity, equity and inclusion at its finest, bringing together three Americans — one Black man, one white woman and one white man — and one white Canadian man. NASA has produced this spirit of unity, not Trump and the MAGA movement.

The ethos of today was set in motion by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. when he said, “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.” There is still a lot of work that needs to be done for that dream to come true. We can start by treating our neighbors as thyself, regardless of gender, color, ethnicity and religion.

Anastacio Vigil, Santa Monica

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To the editor: Hammer states that the MAGA movement is a call for national unity. He believes the movement rightly assumes that “America should lead, not follow.”

I agree with that sentiment, so let’s start: How about improving healthcare availability and healthcare outcomes? That would go a long way to making America great again. How about education, improving and supporting our public school system to produce test scores that keep up with the rest of the Western world? That would help too. How about leading in protecting our environment? Dismantling environmental protections is probably not the best way to lead in that department. Let’s demonstrate some leadership there.

Kathryn Russell, Long Beach

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To the editor: Artemis II is a triumph of science. That can be proven. God’s involvement? Prove it and I’ll believe it.

Adam White, Burbank

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To the editor: Hammer didn’t just drink the MAGA Kool-Aid, he knocked himself over the head with the pitcher. My goodness, he needs to read about the overview effect, which describes what happens to people who see our beautiful Earth from space.

There are no borders. There are no differences. Earth is the home to all, it is precious, and we need to work together to care for it and all of the peoples and creatures who inhabit it.

Never has anyone written an op-ed that showed how deeply they just don’t get it.

Erica Fox, Studio City