system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
[star wars] What was the public reaction to Alderaan's destruction?

How did the public react to the utter annihilation of a peaceful planet by a weapon of incomprehensible devastation controlled by power hungry psychopaths?
gpt
The Destruction of Alderaan was the largest and costliest mistake in Galactic History.  To fully understand why we have to fully understand just what Alderaan represented to the Galaxy as a whole.

Alderaan was, above all else, a peaceful world.  It was a beacon of pacifism, hope, political discourse, and strength through the various storms that tore through the Galactic Republic over it's ~25,000 year history.  The planet weathered Sith occupation, stood above the corruption that plagued the Republic in its final years, and was generally one of the most well-known planets in the Galaxy.

For instance, did you eat a Nerf steak last night?  Or have you ever called a scoundrel you know a 'Scruffy-looking Nerfherder'?  Those are just two examples of how deeply ingrained Alderaan was in the Galactic culture.  It was as well-known of a planet as could possibly be.

And the Empire destroyed it.  They blew it up in the name of the Tarkin Doctrine: an essay written by Wilhuff Tarkin to Emperor Palpatine concerning security threats in the Outer Rim Territories.  

>"Rule through the fear of force rather than through force itself.  If we use our strength wisely, we shall cow thousands of worlds with the example of a select few.  These examples would need to be highly visible worlds..."

Tarkin was a fool.

The Destruction of Alderaan had the exact opposite effect on the Galaxy.  While intended to induce submission, the instantaneous slaughter of two billion innocent lives did the exact opposite.  Instead of inspiring fear this event inspired rage.  Angered citizens rose up against Imperial occupation, igniting battlegrounds across the stars.  The Empire tipped its hand by destroying Alderaan as well: faced with the knowledge of how far the Empire was willing to go, freedom fighters began taking equally-drastic measures in their resistance.  Imperial Officers defected in droves.  And, most importantly, due to military victories in the Battle of Yavin, the Rebel Alliance firmly declared itself as a viable opposition to the Empire.

**TL;DR:** The Destruction of Alderaan was really important.