APOLLO MOON LANDING
By: Davion Porter
Who, What, Where, When, Why, Background Information
In 1961, President Kennedy began a massive expansion of the US space program. In a speech he gave, he challenged the space program to put a group of men on the moon by the end of the decade. Eight years later on July 16, 1969, Apollo 11 launched carrying three astronauts: Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins. Their mission: to land on the moon. ( Wilford Pg1)
Perspective #1
The NY Times wrote an article praising the moon landing. This is expressed by their use of phrases like ”camera outside the craft transmitted his every move to an awed and excited audience of hundreds of millions of people on earth”. Wording like this certainly portrays bias, not that it’s uncalled for though, because this was a historic event. The article also explains how the President at that time, Richard Nixon, gave the astronauts a congratulatory phone call after their return saying “Because of what you have done, the heavens have become a part of man's world. And as you talk to us from the Sea of Tranquility it required us to redouble our efforts to bring peace and tranquility to earth.” ( Wilford Pg1)
Perspective #2
Almost from the point of the first Apollo missions, a small group of Americans denied that it had taken place at all. It had, they argued, been faked in Hollywood by the federal government for purposes ranging depending on the particular Apollo landing denier from embezzlement of the public treasury to complex conspiracy theories involving international intrigue and murderous criminality. They tapped into a rich vein of distrust of government, populist critiques of society, and questions about the fundamentals of epistemology and knowledge creation. At the time of the first landings, opinion polls showed that overall less than five percent, among some communities larger percentages, doubted the moon voyage had taken place. (Roger D. Launius Pg1)
Media Bias
I think that the Apollo 11 moon landing actually happened. I don't understand how the people back then thought that it wasn't because millions of people saw the ship being shot off into space. There was even people there watching the space ship being shot off so there wasn't any reason not to believe it was real. Especially knowing what I know now and how well we have advanced since then I know that the Apollo 11 moon landing was real and not just some kind of fluke.
Criticism #1 Marxist
The first criticism you could view this event through is Marxist. Marxist criticism shows that it takes a lot of money to build the rockets that took the astronauts up to space. It also shows that the rich people who built the rocket can choose who to let on and who to keep off. They rich people have the power over the poor people who do not really have a choice.
Criticism #2 Historical
This event can be viewed through a variety of different criticisms. Another one of these criticisms is historical. If it was viewed through a historical lens, you would see how the culture was shaped by the competitiveness with Russia. And shaped by putting men on the moon for the first time ever. You would see how the entire mission was carried out in order to show military and technological superiority to Russia. to show that America was the greatest.
First Moon Landing 1969