Today we celebrate the day we reached the pinnacle of space exploration up today, the day we made real one of the most ancient dreams of mankind, the day we became ONE and we succeed in an epic adventure showing how best we can do as human. 49 years ago, on the 20th July the NASA mission Apollo 11 landed in our satellite with Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walking on it for the first time. First Men on the Moon.

This is a day of celebration and deep thinking of what we can achieve if we really focus. When the society falls to its darkest stage or we only see horrendous actions, examples like this must be present with all of us and poke our lives; continue growing as species and look up to these bright moments which are the ones pushing us forward.

I consider myself a critical and analytical person; someone who does not get satisfied only with the “oficial” version. The case of Apollo 11 and it’s landing is one of the biggest controversies among conspiracy theories, and it is understandable. Something such transcendental, huge and important must be tackled from every corner. I have spent a lot of time reading and researching about most of these theories and, in my opinion and in general, non of them are strong enough to be consider as a possibility. However this is a big topic and I would like to make a series of posts about this, but on this day I will stick to the fact that we walked on our beautiful moon several times; not just once.

NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter imaged the Apollo 11 landing site from space in 2012 and spotted the astronauts’ tracks, some of the experiments, a discarded camera and of course, the descent stage of the Eagle lunar module. A 3-D view of the site (based on this data) was generated in 2014.

“Houston, Tranquility Base here. The Eagle has landed.” – Neil Armstrong

Source: Space.com

Please look at these pictures. This happened in Spain (Madrid) today, Sunday 15th. July of 2018. Yes, Sunday 15th. July of 2018

 

La protesta en el Valle de los Caídos, en imágenes

Source: El País Digital

 

I prepared my first blog post talking about a different topic; however when I read this article, I was so shocked that I decided to write about this now.

For those who don’t know what is this about I will give you some context. There is a place near Madrid called Valle de los Caídos which, beside being a Catholic basilica, it is also a memorial for the people who died in the Spanish Civil War, and conceived by dictator Francisco Franco. The controversy started when after Franco’s death in 1975, the site was designed to be the burial place for his remains. Since then, across the coming convulsive years of the transition to democracy and until today, the site and its purpose has being untouched. No matter which political side has governed the country. However in 2007, under social democrat government of Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, the Historical Memory Law was approved (something that was needed to formally condemn the Franco regime) and controversy peaked up where some of the amendments on this Law promulgate the “depoliticisation” of the Valle de los Caídos and the question of remove Franco’s burial from the site.

The issue might be more complex and has more social and political implications, however leaving aside (if possible) all that, I am astonished to see this pictures in a modern society in 2018. I do believe in freedom to express political views and thoughts, but I do not understand how some people can defend and support such views; clearly fascists and extremists. While I was watching these pictures, a feeling of sadness, ugliness, sepia effect vision and shame of being Spaniard came to my mind. Furthermore, I do not understand neither how a 21st. century democracy has a public monument to remember and praise a fascist dictator and how this democracy still allows to exist a foundation which promote Franco’s figure. This is inconceivable in a modern society.

I have always believed that evolution goes to be united, not to be segregated. No matter which way we choose, the final goal has to be something better and brighter. Not that hate and social decay.