mustangdriver wrote:
I don't know if a stand up act is meaning comedy? If it is comedy, then I don't think the Enola Gay is the correct place for that, but neither is any other warbird. Now if they mean something else, then it would depend on what it is. The Smithsonian sure is not happy that they have the Enola Gay, as they were preasured into displaying it in one piece this time, and they didn't want to display it at all before.
Any time North opens his mouth, it's comedy.
As for the Smithsonian, don't be silly. They are as proud of the Enola Gay as any other artifact, but have proceeded with caution in displaying it because of the political ramifications. Some think they displayed excessive caution, but then again, they still generated a political firestorm that cost the NASM its Director and all but destroyed its reputation as a center for scholarship. Even so, they displayed the Enola Gay as soon as they had space to do so.
The NASM is underfunded by tax dollars. Do you really think our tax dollars there are not well spent, just because they also accept corporate donations and may not let a blowhard do whatever he wants in their facility? And as for naming rights, that has already happened. Last April, Boeing donated $15M to help support the Udvar-Hazy Center, and according to the NASM press release (4/10/06), "In recognition of the donation, the central structure at the Udvar-Hazy Center will be known as the Boeing Aviation Hangar." If you want to see the magnificent work the NASM does without corporate donations and the strings that come with it, contact your legislator and try to get more of your tax money devoted to NASM, not less.
August