God's Speed John Glenn

[HuckleberryFun]

Just got word that astronaut John Glenn is dead at age 95. Sad.

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[rick benjamin]

Wikipedia article on John Glenn
No moss grew under his feet...

 

[Hop Sing]

What a brave man he was.

 

[JRuby]

i do not find saddnes at this. He was a great man that had a great life . Hopefully we can all be that lucky when our time comes. Thank you Mr. Glenn for showing us what a difference a single person can make. Godspeed onto the next adventure.

 

[Caveman Jim]

God Speed you to the heavens again, for you have served us well and long.

 

[etrain16]

Sorry to hear that, not many real American heroes left in this world. We need some more good folks to look up to.

 

[DB is Here]

Sorry to hear that, not many real American heroes left in this world. We need some more good folks to look up to.

I remember when we knew what a hero was. Seems that word gets thrown around rather easy these days...God Speed John Glen

 

[Sgt Nambu]

John Glenn, a heroic man and a good guy too! Rest In Peace, Sir!

 

[Member 5605]

Tis ere'ones duty to die but once... Godspeed..

 

[CHLChris]

How many young American kids dreamed of the stars, and the thought that they might be the next to go, because of John Glenn? I was one!

 

[PDXSparky]

Truly a man with all the right stuff. Also a great loss for those he has left behind.

 

[Fordcragar]

A great man in our history, very sad.

 

[teflon6string]

Just got word that astronaut John Glenn is dead at age 95. Sad.

Glenn was always a bigger than life hero to me as far back as I can remember (I raced home from school on Tuesdays to marvel at pics of the Mercury capsules and astronauts in Life Magazine).

Sad? Maybe. To me, that's the definition of a life well lived. RIP.

 

[Slobray]

Funny, everyone here praising a man that was instrumental in giving us the Gun Control Act of 1968. Yes, he was a hero early in his life, but to me everything he did prior to the GCA was wiped away by that one act.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/08/us/john-glenn-dies.html?_r=0

After Robert Kennedy's assassination in 1968, Mr. Glenn headed a bipartisan lobbying group called the Emergency Committee for Gun Control. President Lyndon B. Johnson later signed the Gun Control Act of 1968, placing some restrictions on firearms.

Gun Control Act of 1968 - Dictionary definition of Gun Control Act of 1968 | Encyclopedia.com: FREE online dictionary

Pro–gun control advocates mobilized and constructed an effective pro–gun control pressure group called the Emergency Committee for Gun Control. The bipartisan organization was headed by Colonel John H. Glenn, Jr., a former astronaut and friend of Senator Robert Kennedy.

You know that Mark Kelly was an astronaut and anti 2A also, is everyone going to praise him so much when he dies too?


Ray

 

[Howard1955]

 

[teflon6string]

That's a very good point Ray. I didn't realize that.

 

[evltwn]

Semper Fi...

 

[Slobray]

That's a very good point Ray. I didn't realize that.

The more you look into it, the more you can see how he and his anti 2A organization hated guns and gun owners. Some of the things he and his group lobbied for include (some of which they got):

National Firearm Registry,
National Ammunition Registry,
Pistol ban,
National Firearm Licensing, which included

• A letter from a Doctor stating the person "Physically and Mentally" capable of owning a firearm
  
• Confiscation, if the letter wasn't dated within 6 months of application or renewal
  
• Said license would have to be issued directly from the Secretary of the Treasury to possess a firearm of any type

Banning firearms that don't have a "sporting purpose",
Banning the interstate sale of firearms and shipment to private citizens,
Banning mail order sales of guns,
Restricting the import of firearms,
Creating "prohibited persons",
Age restrictions on ownership.

There were rumors that he wanted to do away with civilians ownership, but I can't find an actual reference other than the opinion of Field and Stream editors.


Ray

 

[teflon6string]

Don't get me wrong, Glenn's still an American hero in my eyes for his participation in the space program. All those high-altitude balloon/X-15/Mercury/Gemini/Apollo guys were. Talk about "rolling the dice!"

But now I'm sorely disappointed to hear that Glenn was actively anti-2A here on earth. I was not remotely political until recently when I started noticing the systematic incremental destruction of the constitution.

And now it matters. Many of my idols have slipped more than a few notches (which is tough with family and personal friends). Historic accomplishments aside, a little reading about Henry Ford and Charles Lindbergh can be similarly disquieting.

Generically, I wonder how many other public figures, heroes and icons we tend to 100% align ourselves with - based on just a few things we "know" about them. All the while not realizing they might differ profoundly from what we've always perceived.

Sobering.

 

[Howard1955]

Don't get me wrong, Glenn's still an American hero in my eyes for his participation in the space program. All those high-altitude balloon/X-15/Mercury/Gemini/Apollo guys were. Talk about "rolling the dice!"

But now I'm sorely disappointed to hear that Glenn was actively anti-2A here on earth. I was not remotely political until recently when I started noticing the systematic incremental destruction of the constitution.

And now it matters. Many of my idols have slipped more than a few notches (which is tough with family and personal friends). Historic accomplishments aside, a little reading about Henry Ford and Charles Lindbergh can be similarly disquieting.

Generically, I wonder how many other public figures, heroes and icons we tend to 100% align ourselves with - based on just a few things we "know" about them. All the while not realizing they might differ profoundly from what we've always perceived.

Sobering.

Teflon,

I absolutely agree. Mr. Glenn's politics don't diminish the heroic things he did. On one hand, he's a hero - and on the other (depending on ones point of view) he's a villain. All part of the complexity of life.

It can be maddening/frustrating/disappointing to see a person who has traits we love and traits we hate. But, being able to peacefully coexist with them - even as we work to defeat their political agendas - can be rewarding.

My sweet wife is as liberal as they come, and I'm - well, I'm me. I had to choke on 8 years of Obama, and now she's unhappy about Trump. We disagree on a lot of things, but it hasn't (so far!) led to divorce.

Mr. Glenn might've been on the other side of the political fence from me, but I wouldn't hesitate to tell my grandson about his heroism.