Missing the Silence of Space

Consistent with the tenor of her vice presidency, Kamala Harris, on Tuesday, 31 January 2023, reportedly made of herself an uncomfortable public spectacle while speaking on the topic of space travel.

Tasked with awarding Congressional Space Medals of Honor to former NASA astronauts Douglas Hurley and Robert Behnken in recognition of the bravery the two men demonstrated during NASA’s May 2020 SpaceX Demonstration Mission-2 (Demo-2) to the International Space Station, Harris succeeded only in fomenting discord.

"Which brings me to May 30, 2020,” the vice president gushed. “Bob and Doug returned to the Kennedy Space Center. They suited up. They waved to their families, and they rode an elevator up nearly twenty stories. They strapped into their seats and waited as the tanks beneath filled with tens of thousands of gallons of fuel. And then they launched. Yeah, they did!" Harris said with a laugh.

The reductionist and glib assessment of Hurley’s and Behnken’s launch drew widespread criticism across multiple social-media platforms. Droves of Twitter users characterized Harris’s account as “patronizing,” suggesting her affect was that of a condescending adult addressing children.

Townhall.com columnist Derek Hunter tweeted: "Who is she speaking to? I have to assume it's a group of 3-year-old, closed-head-injury sufferers, right?"

Townhall.com’s Twitter account set forth: "Only Kamala Harris can make a description of an astronaut's launch seem patronizing."

Ted Cruz’s communications advisor Steve Guest remarked: "Kamala Harris on astronauts: ‘They strapped into their seats and waited as the tanks beneath them filled with tens of thousands of gallons of fuel. And then they launched! Yeah, they did!’ It's like a 5-year-old wrote this.”

RumbleUp CEO Thomas Peters inquired: "How is ‘they launched’ a laugh line?!"

Event host Sara Gonzales declared: “This is painful to watch.”

Alan Myron commented, “I never thought someone would make me dislike anything related to space exploration. Then she spoke. I am honestly impressed with her ability to turn even the most interesting topic into sh#t. Impressive.”

Former Michigan state Representative Tim Kelly opined: "Too bad she wasn’t part of the payload."

Harris faced a similar backlash over a 2021 NASA video depicting her interacting awkwardly with schoolchildren.

"You’re gonna literally see the craters on the moon with your own eyes!" Harris exclaimed as the cameras rolled. "With your own eyes! I’m telling you, it is gonna be unbelievable."

The vice president was widely critiques for both the exaggerated, contrived mannerisms to which she resorted throughout the video and her apparent dearth of genuine empathy or emotion. Following the video’s release, it was revealed that the children appearing therein had auditioned for the production and been cast in their roles by the video’s Toronto-based production company, the aptly-named Sinking Ship Entertainment.

FMI: www.nasa.gov