It looks as if Representative Gabrielle Giffords will be able to attend her husband Mark Kelly’s Space Shuttle launch on Friday. She’s been in a Houston hospital since she was shot in the head by a deranged gunman three months ago, but her doctors have given her permission to travel to Cape Canaveral, Florida for the launch.
This will be the last flight for the shuttle Endeavor. Only one more flight remains for Atlantis before the Space Shuttle program ends for good. The story of Giffords and Kelly reminds us that mankind’s future lies with the genius and determination of this great nation, not the bloody fantasies of murderers. The sky awaits us, with the stars beyond it.
The Associated Press notes that “Giffords has not been seen publicly since the shooting,” and has no plans to make a public appearance after the launch. I hope the media respects her privacy. We should focus on watching her husband join her in slipping the surly bonds of earth.
