The Reverend Ralph Abernathy (see In The Field, 7 July 2009) led 25 poor Southern families on mule-drawn wagons to the Kennedy Space Center to protest federal funding priorities. Thomas O. Paine, NASA administrator, met the group outside the gate, according to New York Times and Washington Post reports.

Abernathy asked Paine to join the fight against poverty by converting NASA’s technology to find better ways of creating food. He also asked for 40 passes to the Very Important Person launch viewing area for his mule-drawn companions.

Paine gave Abernathy the entry passes, but said that “it will be a lot harder to solve the problems of hunger and poverty than it is to send men to the moon.” But, “if it were possible for us not to push that button tomorrow and solve the problems you are talking about, we would not push the button.”

He added that, “I want you to hitch your wagon to our rocket and tell the people the NASA program is an example of what this country can do.”

The Reverend Ralph Abernathy (see In The Field, 7 July 2009) led 25 poor Southern families on mule-drawn wagons to the Kennedy Space Center to protest federal funding priorities. Thomas O. Paine, NASA administrator, met the group outside the gate, according to New York Times and Washington Post reports.

Abernathy asked Paine to join the fight against poverty by converting NASA’s technology to find better ways of creating food. He also asked for 40 passes to the Very Important Person launch viewing area for his mule-drawn companions.

Paine gave Abernathy the entry passes, but said that “it will be a lot harder to solve the problems of hunger and poverty than it is to send men to the moon.” But, “if it were possible for us not to push that button tomorrow and solve the problems you are talking about, we would not push the button.”

He added that, “I want you to hitch your wagon to our rocket and tell the people the NASA program is an example of what this country can do.”