Shelter Island Reproter Editorial: American moments

In a Q&A in the April 9 Reporter, with Wyatt Brigham, Shelter Island Class of 2013, we learned that after graduation from Clarkson University, Wyatt was hired by NASA and worked on Artemis 1, planning the circumnavigation of the moon that came to fruition with Artemis 2.

We were struck by his response to watching the launch of the moon flight with his wife Kiersten and their two young boys: “The thoughts running through my head were about the exciting future that my sons will grow into.”

Striking because of its note of hope, of optimism in the face of a crescendo of toxic noise in the public square these days. And it wasn’t just one Florida family that felt these stirring emotions. Millions of Americans were on the same page, that a government-funded, planned and executed endeavor, the product of many hands and minds, could spur wonder at a remarkable achievement.

There was joy in the human element, of the astronauts who were brave, accomplished, and at every turn let their exuberant, confident personalities shine through. (Also, no one could fail to see that the crew was a Diversity, Equity and Inclusive showcase, including an African-American, a woman, and a proud Canadian.)

For a time, Artemis 2 replaced the fractured times in which we live; a country engaged in gutter-level debate; a war that seemingly no one wants except the president and a tiny number of supporters, with chest-pounding theatrics from the White House; a thuggish immigration policy; ludicrous economic directives on tariffs; and a relentless attack on our environment.

But for a while — even only for a while — most of us were looking up together, and cheering the accomplishments and the safe return of our moon voyagers.

It recalled July 1969 when Americans landed on the moon. Those were fractured times as well, with the war in Viet Nam claiming more than 1,000 American lives that month, part of the nearly 12,000 killed in action for that year.

But Armstrong, Aldrin and Collins brought most of America together, with “One giant leap for mankind,” and a plaque the astronauts left on the moon that read: “We came in peace for all mankind.”

For a short time, Americans were looking in the same direction.

As the writer Hubert Butler said: “In our day, events succeed each other rapidly, books are often out of date before they are published, and whole epochs can end … and leave scarcely a trace behind.” Artemis 2 might turn out to be only a moment. We should hope for more such moments. And remember to cherish and learn from them when they pass.