No Planet-Killing “Death Star” for the United States
Monday, January 14th, 2013January 14, 2013
The administration of President Barack Obama has officially rejected an online petition from citizens urging the United States to add a Star Wars-like Death Star to the country’s military arsenal. The Death Star, which appeared in several of the movies in the Star Wars series, is a moon-sized space vehicle equipped with an energy-emitting superweapon capable of destroying an entire planet with one blast.
The request was submitted to the White House’s “We the People” website, established in 2011 “to create and sign petitions that call for the federal government to take action on a range of issues.” Petitions that receive a certain number of signatures within a specified period of time are guaranteed an answer from the White House. The Death Star petition collected 34,435 signatures. The right of the people “to petition the government for a redress of grievances” is guaranteed by the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
Paul Shawcross, chief of the Science and Space Branch at the White House Office of Management and Budget, rejected the petition with an answer titled, “This Isn’t the Petition Response You’re Looking For.” In his response, Shawcross listed three main reasons for the rejection.
“The Administration shares your desire for job creation and a strong national defense, but a Death Star isn’t on the horizon. Here are a few reasons:
• The construction of the Death Star has been estimated to cost more than $850,000,000,000,000,000. We’re working hard to reduce the deficit, not expand it.
• The Administration does not support blowing up planets.
• Why would we spend countless taxpayer dollars on a Death Star with a fundamental flaw that can be exploited by a one-man starship?”
Imperial storm troopers from the Star Wars movies appear on a United States stamp. (Credit: United States Postal Service)
After listing some existing space projects, Shawcross wrote, “We are living in the future! Enjoy it. … If you do pursue a career in a science, technology, engineering or math-related field, the Force will be with us! Remember, the Death Star’s power to destroy a planet, or even a whole star system, is insignificant next to the power of the Force.”
Additional World Book articles:
