In her new book, The Family Dinner, Laurie David talks about the importance of families making a ritual of sitting down to dinner together, and how family dinners offer a great opportunity for meaningful discussions about the day's news. "Dinner," she says, "is as much about digestible conversation as it is about delicious food."
We couldn't agree more. So HuffPost has joined with Laurie to launch a new feature we're calling HuffPost Family Dinner Downloads. Every Friday afternoon, just in time for dinner, our editors highlight one of the most compelling news stories of the week -- stories that will spark a lively discussion among the whole family.
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This week, during his State of the Union speech, President Obama talked about the need for America to "win the future," and said that this is "our generation's Sputnik moment." He was referring to what happened in 1957, when the Soviet Union shocked the world by beating America into space with the launch of the Sputnik satellite. America responded with massive funding for schools, more focus on teaching science and math, and the creation of NASA. In 1961, President Kennedy promised that by the end of the decade America would put a man on the moon. Just eight years later, against tremendous odds, we did exactly that, with Neil Armstrong taking his "giant leap for mankind." This historic accomplishment and willingness to think big helped define a generation.
What do you think should be today's man-on-the-moon moment? Should it be trying to go even farther in space, like Mars, or should we focus on problems closer to home? What do you think is the single biggest challenge America faces? Do you think it can be fixed? What would you like your generation to be remembered for accomplishing? Can your parents remember where they were in 1969 when Armstrong stepped onto the moon? How did it make them feel about their future?
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To see last week's Family Dinner Download, click here.
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For more tips and recipes, check out The Family Dinner: Great Ways to Connect with Your Kids, One Meal at a Time by Laurie David and Kirstin Uhrenholdt (thefamilydinnerbook.com).