At 10:56 PM this evening, EDT, it will have been forty years since man first walked on the moon.

John Kennedy gave this speech at Rice University in September of 1962, and pledged to put a man on the moon before the end of the decade.



Less than seven years later, the United States achieved what many thought was impossible. We were motivated to do so.



Sometimes, I think about what great things that this country has achieved since then, and I'm sort of stuck. There have been some nice technological achievements, but I can't think of one thing that captures the imagination like the moon landing.

Right now, Congress is discussing how to provided health care for every citizen, just like they do in other less prosperous countries. It will not be easy.

Do we still possess the capacity to do something as big as this? Even if the taxes of some or all might need to be raised?

Do we still have the will to achieve anything truly great anymore?