Card says that Trek not needed anymore

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Originally Posted by Ergi

Good look trying to evade my photon torpedoes, lightsaber-boy! :mad: ;)

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Make that TWO photon torpedoes... :D

A response to OSC on Tech Central Station (and excelent libertarian commentary site.)

One of the bits in it that I liked was similar to something I've said: geeks come in every shape and size -- some are fascinated by what blower they can stick in their car's engine or what muffle sounds better, some paint their favorite football team's name on their flabby pasty-white chest and jump around drunk, some memorize every stat on baseball possible...and some what way too much sci-fi.

http://www.techcentralstation.com/051305G.html

Now this is an article that does justice. Not that drivel Card managed to articulate.

Although a good writer (Ender's Game was brilliant), OSC was always biased against Star Trek even when its writing was at the top of its game. Card's bashed Star Trek in print more than once over the course his career and Star Trek's existence.

Card always bashed Star Trek for "bad writing." While that may be his stated reason, I don't believe it was his real reason for disliking it. I think Card's distaste for Star Trek was political and social. Card's a conservative Mormon while Gene Roddenberry (and Star Trek) espoused liberal Humanist views.

So, of course Card's going to have a negative opinion of Trek. But, I don't think he was ever objective in that opinion.

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Originally Posted by Ezri's Toy

So, of course Card's going to have a negative opinion of Trek. But, I don't think he was ever objective in that opinion.

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So, your argument is that Card has a negative opinion because he's Mormon and conservative? You're painting a very broad stroke with that brush, there, Ezri.

My church is the group that stayed in Illinois when Brigham Young took his supporters and left for Utah. Many classify us an "offshoot" of the Mormons (although, in truth, we consider the Mormons to be an offshoot of our church, as we believed we stayed closer to our founder's ideals). At any rate, we share a number of core beliefs (not bigamy, and not the Pearl of Great Price, which we believe to be a simple translation of an ancient text by Joseph Smith, Jr., and not a religious document). My family and I are of strong faith, and you would probably consider us "conservatives" (I think we're closer to McCain than Gingrich). Would you paint me with the same brush?

I spent about 5 years living only three hours away from Salt Lake City, right in the heart of "Mormon country." Many of my Mormon friends were Star Trek fans, during the Star Trek I-II timeframe. Although I can't claim any knowledge of their current political leanings, they were from families of strong faith. Do you paint them the same way?

Star Trek's fans are not only libertarian humanists. There are a few of us to the right of Ted Kennedy, and a few more still who actually go to church occasionally.

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Originally Posted by Sea Tyger

So, your argument is that Card has a negative opinion because he's Mormon and conservative? You're painting a very broad stroke with that brush, there, Ezri.

My church is the group that stayed in Illinois when Brigham Young took his supporters and left for Utah. Many classify us an "offshoot" of the Mormons (although, in truth, we consider the Mormons to be an offshoot of our church, as we believed we stayed closer to our founder's ideals). At any rate, we share a number of core beliefs (not bigamy, and not the Pearl of Great Price, which we believe to be a simple translation of an ancient text by Joseph Smith, Jr., and not a religious document). My family and I are of strong faith, and you would probably consider us "conservatives" (I think we're closer to McCain than Gingrich). Would you paint me with the same brush?

I spent about 5 years living only three hours away from Salt Lake City, right in the heart of "Mormon country." Many of my Mormon friends were Star Trek fans, during the Star Trek I-II timeframe. Although I can't claim any knowledge of their current political leanings, they were from families of strong faith. Do you paint them the same way?

Star Trek's fans are not only libertarian humanists. There are a few of us to the right of Ted Kennedy, and a few more still who actually go to church occasionally.

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I wholeheartedly agree with you, ST, but I think Ezri's Toy was more illustrating the contrast of beliefs between Card and Roddenberry and how it might have led to a wedge between creative visions rather than attempting to paint all conservatives and/or Mormons in a bad light.