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What disenchantment there was continued to come mainly from the young and the blacks. In Los Angeles, David Walzer, 13, spoke condescendingly of his elders' enthusiasm: "When they grew up, they didn't even have jet planes. It's a more amazing concept to them." Said Gary Newton, 19, a sophomore at Maine's Colby College: "The astronauts' achievement was great, but I'm sorry that our country doesn't put as much money into solving the problems of war, poverty and sickness." Outside the Manned Space Center, black demonstrators carried the bitter message: "Good luck from the hungry children of Houston."
Some complaints were more sentimental. For centuries, the Japanese have celebrated the annual Night of the Full Moon by composing haiku. In Tokyo, one poetaster objected: "Now that the poesy of it is all gone, what can one do —commit hara-kiri?" In Vietnamese legend, the moon is represented by Hang-Nga, a beautiful maiden; "Now she is no longer a virgin," a Saigon intellectual lamented. Tel Aviv's Chief Rabbi Shlomo Goren offered a 20th century amendment to a 12th century Hebrew prayer on the eve of the new moon. For 800 years, it has read: "As I dance in front of you and yet cannot touch you, so all my enemies should be unable to harm me." The rabbi suggested that the line be changed to: "As I dance in front of you and yet do not touch you ..."
For all the carping, San Francisco's Mayor Joseph Alioto probably spoke for everyone except the most stubborn critics of the U.S., both at home and abroad, when he composed these lines for an ecumenical service in Grace Cathedral, atop Nob Hill:
It is fitting that this nation mobilized its wealth and its technology for a lunar landing. Our nation, to remain vital, must expand the horizons of knowledge and discovery. At the same time, she must continue to expand the horizons of hope for all Americans so that each may live with dignity and justice. There are 22 million poor who don't ask for the moon; just for a decent home, a decent job, a decent school and a decent neighborhood. The moon walk is a majestic milestone of man's quest for the stars, and it is a dramatic reminder of how far we have yet to go in the heavens as well as here on earth.