Sacrifice for Liberty in the 21st Century and Beyond

When we think of people sacrificing their lives in the name of Liberty, what usually comes to mind is somebody in a military uniform of some kind, dying on foreign soil in some complicated conflict over who knows what. I would like to assert, however, that there has not been a sacrifice in the name of Liberty in this manner in a long, long while. You might say, "We hear of people dying every week over in Iraq and Afghanistan." I ask you, who's liberty did they die for? As far as I can tell, the deaths of the soldiers in the Middle East are in the name of Empire, not Liberty. I can't even tell you when the last legitimate American death in the name of Liberty might have been.

On Thursday, July 26th, 2007, on American soil in the Mojave Desert, three Americans died for Liberty. They deserve our respect, and our gratitude. Their names were Eric Blackwell (38), Glen May (45) and Todd Ivens (33).

These men wore no military uniforms, and they didn't fight on foreign soil. Instead,they built spaceships. They died for Liberty, because they died while building spaceships for a private company, rather than for the government.

You may not see the heroism in their deaths. You may not appreciate their sacrifice. You may not understand the importance of their work. Allow me to give you a bit of the background on the company these men worked for, and died for.

Scaled Composites, formerly Rutan Aircraft Factory, is a private company, based on the dream of famed aircraft designer Burt Rutan. Since 1982, Rutan and his company have been designing, building and testing experimental aircraft. In 2003, they unveiled their plans to put the first privately funded manned spacecraft, SpaceShipOne, in space, in hopes of winning the $10 million Ansari X Prize. In 2004, they achieved that goal with human spaceflights for SpaceShipOne. All of this was achieved with no government involvement, except for the permits they gave out for the flights.

It was while working on a rocket test for SpaceShipTwo that the explosion occurred on July 26th. Until SpaceShipOne, there was no liberty in space. The U.S. Government's space program, NASA, has long held the monopoly on spaceflight and exploration. SpaceShipOne gave hope for the future, that the common man might one day reach for the stars, literally. It was to further that cause that these three heroes died. It was certainly a tragic death, and one that we wish could have been avoided. The men, however, will not be forgotten. They will be remembered in the hearts of those who love Liberty, for their unbridled pioneering spirit that refused to be kept on the ground. Godspeed gentlemen.

And to those at Scaled Composites who mourn the tragic passing of their esteemed colleagues, I exhort you to keep reaching for the stars and never give up. It may be that you hold the keys to Freedom for future generations. Press on, and light up the skies in the name of Liberty.