‘Star Wars’

Why do you suppose the Russians and their sympathizers are screaming so loud about “Star Wars?”

Quite simply, the Russians enjoy a substantial military advantage in numbers of weapons such as missiles and nuclear warheads. If some new technology should make these present weapons obsolete, it could nullify their advantage. Small wonder they would like us to stop our space development while they conduct their own research in secret. Have we forgotten how Sputnik surprised the world?

But really, wouldn’t it be more humane to focus our weapons race out in space? The last thing we want to do is destroy island Earth. Suppose we could develop a space-based laser or particle-beam weapon that could destroy nuclear missiles coming out of their silos. Then these terrible weapons would be a liability to the user instead of an asset. Maybe then the Russians would cooperate with us in ridding the Earth of nuclear weapons.

Let’s get on with space technology.

RAY LAHR

Malibu