Last week was the 50th anniversary of Star Trek’s primiere. While I’ve fazed out of my major Trek obsession, I still consider myself a big fan. It’s amazing what “Wagon Train in the sky” did for TV, science fiction, and the future. The show was set in an optimistic time, when humanity had learned to overcome hate and war, where mere curiosity drove us forward. The show successfully addressed the issues of the day, because it’s easier to point fingers at kooky looking aliens than at ourselves. It philosophized in all the right ways.
Gene Roddenberry’s vision was very clear. And while I don’t always agree with secular humanist points, I do like stories that have clear morals/lessons of the day. A lot of people don’t like when entertainment gets too preachy. And a lot of shows certainly don’t try to make a point. But I like a story to have a message, to stand for something. To boldly go.
"One day soon, man is going to be able to harness incredible energies,
maybe even the atom... energies that could ultimately hurl us to other
worlds in... in some sort of spaceship. And the men that reach out into
space will be able to find ways to feed the hungry millions of the world
and to cure their diseases. They will be able to find a way to give
each man hope and a common future. And those are the days worth living
for." -Edith Keeler, "City on the Edge of Forever"
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