Fellow martians and citizens of Earth, I come before you today with a heart full of sorrow. Space pioneer and explorer, Neil Armstrong passed from us in a peaceful sleep last evening. An icon of a man, who helped encourage Americans and those across the world to pursue space travel. We would not be where we are today if not for his bravery to head into the unknown. Armstrong will live on for generations to come due to his intrepid nature and his desire to venture beyond the known world into uncharted areas of the universe. In the same way Christopher Columbus bravely sailed into the New World to open up the door for the exploration and colonization of the Americas, so too did Neil Armstrong lay the foundation for the exploration of space and the creation of this colony on Mars. When one thinks of famous explorers and pioneers, one will think of Neil and his passion for the advancement of space technology and his giant leap for mankind.
Today, I wish to highlight the legacy of Neil Armstrong and his embodiment of curiosity as we acknowledge the loss of such a great leader and one of the founding fathers of space exploration. We say that Neil was the first human to set foot on the Moon, but in reality he was the first to set foot on this new frontier. His unparalleled courage to pursue space travel built the foundation for our settlement here on Mars. Although Neil's days of walking with us have come to an end, his spirit will always remain a part of this settlement, this mission, and this vision for continued space travel and exploration of the universe. In a similar way to how the ancient Athenians upheld the virtues of their greatest citizens, we must therefore uphold and honor the legacy of Neil Armstrong for his resolute courage and being willing to sacrifice his own life for the sake of knowledge about the unknown for future generations. Neil’s life proved that the deeds that one leaves behind is the true measure of life. It was not for his own glory or personal gain that he took those first few steps on the Moon, but rather for the future of all humanity as he boldly set foot where none had gone before. We must honor him through continuing the work of space exploration. We must dedicate ourselves to the understanding that the destiny of humans does not end with one planet, but stretches across the galaxy.
The loss of Neil means the absence of a guiding light, it means the universe has lost the man who symbolized what it meant to live out a dream. The universe has lost the one whose pioneering spirit brought us here to Martian soil. The loss of this man is personal, it is felt by all, both here on Mars and down on Earth, whether you knew him directly or only by his work. It is hard to fathom not having him and his quiet strength with us as we continue with the settlement on Mars and the continuation of space exploration as a whole. It is indeed hard to imagine moving forward without him.
His loss is felt deeply by those who directly knew Neil, fellow astronauts who walked beside him and the engineers and scientists that worked beside him and with him to help make the dream of space travel a reality for the human race. Our settlement here feels the weight of his loss in each of our hearts. All who have journeyed beyond Earth mourn the loss of this man. We mourn the loss of his friendship and encouragement of continuation and exemption of the Martian settlement. His legacy will forever be etched in the history of space exploration. To his family and loved ones, hold tight to the reassurance that Neil will never be forgotten and be comforted in the hope that he will live in the hearts of millions. The loss of Neil extends to all, it extends to humanity itself because of the unifying factor of one species reaching toward the stars and establishing a place for humanity beyond the confines of Earth.
In the absence of Neil, our lives will undoubtedly be poorer due to the loss of this leader who provided the world with the vision of sending the human race into space. We have lost a pioneer. We have lost a leader. We have lost a visionary. We have lost a man who gave vision to humanity’s future in space. Without his presence, there will be a hollowness felt in the universe as we miss his wisdom and the quiet dignity of his personality. No longer will there be the same connection to the earlier missions of space travel, for the man who lived through them is now gone. As we continue our daily struggle to build a new home for humanity on Mars, we will no longer have Neil’s encouraging voice to push us to continue to advance the settlement on Mars and further exploration of the universe.
This settlement here on Mars is a work in progress. We are a community of both pioneers and dreamers. For all of us here on Mars, Neil’s example of determination and grit solidified the decision to collectively seek to establish a settlement on another planet. He not only encouraged us in this giant leap for mankind, but he also remained a source of encouragement for everyone living in this settlement. We are here because of him, we remain here because of him, and we will continue the exploration of space for him.
Let us remember Neil in every small step we take on Mars, and with every inch of improving our methods of space travel. In our grief for Neil, we take heart in the knowledge that Neil’s journey and mission has changed the world for generations to come. We here on this Mars settlement are living proof of his work as a space pioneer. We must not lose the vision he gave us, we must not forget his footsteps. We must carry his vision forward. Let us not only honor Neil’s memory through mourning, but rather through dedicating ourselves to the continued exploration and advancement of space technology. The universe aches for the loss of such an inspirational man, I ache for the loss of his friendship and daily encouragement. We must remember that he lives on in every mission related to space travel, in every breakthrough achieved. Let us in the midst of our grief work together to continue the legacy of Neil by focusing on the future and remember the enduring nature of Neil’s influence.
Explanation of the Imitated Speeches:
In this speech, I imitate and reflect on both Pericles Funeral Oration and Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address. Both speeches aim to honor the legacy of great individuals, while motivating the audience to continue the work that these individuals began. I use this message and implement it into my speech by advocating for the remembrance of Neil Armstrong and urging the audience to continue his legacy through the further exploration of space travel and to continue to support the Martian Colony as a whole. My speech praises the achievements of Neil Armstrong especially for his bravery for choosing to explore space. I show how Armstrong paved the way for human expansion beyond Earth, and how he showed true bravery because he did not know if he was to survive. This is much like how Pericles describes the resilient fallen soldiers from Athens and the way Lincoln speaks on how the Union soldiers gave their lives for a greater cause. In my speech, just like the speeches given by Lincoln and Pericles, I emphasize the loss of Armstrong and speak of this to the Martian Colony and those on Earth in the same manner as how Pericles speaks of the loss to Athens and their fallen warriors, causing a stir in their hearts to create a reaction out of the audience. I also mimicked the deep grief that Lincoln expresses in the Gettysburg Address to the United States because I want all to understand the true loss of Armstrong in the same way that Lincoln wanted the nation to understand the loss of the Union soldiers. As Pericles inspires those in his audience with the greatness of Athens' past, I too strive to inspire my audience with the greatness of Armstrong’s achievements.
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