Happy Star Trek Day Everyone!
And yes, of course I am biased in saying that Spock is the greatest character in all of Science Fiction! (Feel free to submit your suggestions below) But one must admit, the character of Spock really was ground-breaking in the world of 1966, and I doubt that Trek would .have become the legend it is today without this amazing, cool, yet sympathetic character that so many people have identified with other the years. The struggle between his half-human/ half Vulcan selves serves as a metaphor for our own divisive experiences in our lives. Yet the calmness in which he solves his problems — never with violence, but with reason, logic, and compassion, is a lesson to us all.
Over and over in Trek canon, we hear of how the Vulcans nearly destroyed themselves with their own passions. These days, the Vulcan essence of IDIC; Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations, seems to be as far away in our current culture as is the earth to the sun. It’s hard to imagine a future where we can all live in peace regardless of race, sex, and indigenous culture in a world where we seem more divided than ever, and living in fear of “The Other” Sadly, I’ve seen the United States and other parts of the world becoming more divisive than ever in my lifetime (I’m 62) . Can mankind ever achieve the Utopian attitudes of the Star Trek world? The answer is in ourselves. Star Trek taught me not to be afraid of ‘the other’, but to embrace and learn from it in common courtesy. The more we learn from each other, the stronger we will be.
What aspects of Star Trek have made you a better person?
Here’s hoping for the brighter world that Star Trek promises. May we never give up hope.
TrekkerScrapbook 