[BRIEF NOTE] On the Star Trek statement against Donald Trump

[rfmcdonald]

Eighty-odd actors, writers and other luminaries in Star Trek recently issued a statement against Donald Trump's candidacy. It is strongly against the man and what he represents.

Star Trek has always offered a positive vision of the future, a vision of hope and optimism, and most importantly, a vision of inclusion, where people of all races are accorded equal respect and dignity, where individual beliefs and lifestyles are respected so long as they pose no threat to others. We cannot turn our backs on what is happening in the upcoming election. Never has there been a presidential candidate who stands in such complete opposition to the ideals of the Star Trek universe as Donald Trump. His election would take this country backward, perhaps disastrously. We need to elect a president who will move this country forward into the kind of future we all dream of: where personal differences are understood and accepted, where science overrules superstition, where people work together instead of against each other.

The resolution of conflicts on Star Trek was never easy. Don’t remain aloof –vote! We have heard people say they will vote Green or Libertarian or not at all because the two major candidates are equally flawed. That is both illogical and inaccurate. Either Secretary Clinton or Mr. Trump will occupy the White House. One is an amateur with a contemptuous ignorance of national laws and international realities, while the other has devoted her life to public service, and has deep and valuable experience with the proven ability to work with Congress to pass desperately needed legislation. If, as some say, the government is broken, a protest vote will not fix it.

Have you just turned 18? Have you moved? Have you never voted before? Some states have early registration (early October) and/or absentee ballots. You can’t vote if you are not registered. So make it so. Go to https://www.rockthevote.com , a non-profit, non-partisan organization, and fulfill your civic duty. Because, damn it, you are a citizen of the USA, with an obligation to take part in our democracy! Do this not merely for yourself but for all the generations that follow. Vote for a future of enlightenment and inclusion, a future that will someday lead us to the stars.

Star Trek is all about hope and optimism, about the desire we can learn about our universe and each other, about the belief that we can recover from the traumas of the past and move on into a better future together. The only thing about this that surprises me about this statement, honestly, is that it did not appear before now.

(Yes, I am sure there are some people who are fans who do not get this. I am reminded of the man who wrote DC Comics to complain about a moment of near-romantic tenderness between Scotty and Uhura. As the comic's editor noted, this man clearly did not understand what kind of show he was watching.)

Armin Shimerman's defense of this statement is worth noting.

Shimerman tracked the origins of the statement to the Star Trek Mission: New York convention (where Shimerman joined other members of the DS9 cast on-stage to offer advice to Star Trek: Discovery actors and defend the Ferengi against accusations of antisemitism). “I was thinking about it for a while. In fact, there was a lot of political talk amongst us while we were in the Javits Center,” Shimerman said. “I thought it would be a very good idea to speak to millennials and to fans of the show about our feelings… it’s not about one person, it’s really about everybody working together as a community.”

Shimerman describes the statement as aligned with Star Trek values. “The show has always aspired to the common good, of all people. And we aspire to universal inclusion. And when someone like Trump represents the opposite of that, I think all of us say ‘it’s time to speak up,’” Shimerman said.

For the signatories (and presumably anyone who understands Star Trek at all), Donald Trump’s candidacy is antithetical to the humanist values espoused by Gene Roddenberry (though his politics and ethics were far from perfect) and the shows that followed his example.

“He said things about immigrants that are impossible to accept. He said things about minority groups that are impossible to accept. We look at his background and we see he’s less than qualified to be the President of the United States. He’s not qualified,” Shimerman said. “To me, he’s primarily an amateur.”

Shimerman was particularly revolted by Trump’s numerous statements demonizing Muslims and Muslim-Americans. “My family was decimated by the Holocaust. I am a first-generation American. My father was born in Europe. He lost all of his family… yes, that puts a particular fear in me.”

All I'll add is that Louise Fletcher is one of the eighty-odd. If the person who plays Kai Winn thinks this is a bad idea ...

Thanks, guys, for reaffirming my fandom.