The White House won't be building a Death Star like the one from "Star Wars."

To paraphrase Obi Wan Kenobi, it's as if thousands of people cried out and then were suddenly silenced.

Over 34,000 people digitally "signed" a petition on WhiteHouse.gov called "Secure resources and funding, and begin construction of a Death Star by 2016."  In a lengthy and surprisingly humorous response, the White House said in part:

"...look carefully (here's how) and you'll notice something already floating in the sky -- that's no Moon, it's a Space Station! Yes, we already have a giant, football field-sized International Space Station in orbit around the Earth that's helping us learn how humans can live and thrive in space for long durations."

"The construction of the Death Star has been estimated to cost more than $850,000,000,000,000,000. We're working hard to reduce the deficit, not expand it."

"The Administration does not support blowing up planets."

But probably the MOST compelling reason to NOT build the biggest weapon of mass destruction ever comes down to the fact that our enemies may already know how to defeat it:

"Why would we spend countless taxpayer dollars on a Death Star with a fundamental flaw that can be exploited by a one-man starship?"

You can read the full response here: This isn't the Petition Response You're Looking For.

The White House responds to all petitions that receive at least 25,000 signatures within 30 days.

Read more: How much would a Death Star cost?