The latest Galaxycon was held this past weekend in San Jose, California and my understanding was that it was a lot of fun. Oh, I was there, but spent most of those three days “locked up” in a room below the convention floor conducting interviews with various people from or regarding Star Trek, where, through the give and take of various conversations, it was driven home that the vision of hope and unity postulated by Gene Roddenberry in his concept for a “Wagon Train to the stars” remains very much alive. This despite the divided time we live in — a fact absolutely driven home by Vice President Kamala Harris in her acceptance speech at the final night of the DNC.
Not surprisingly, another point of mutual agreement regarding the future as offered by Star Trek and the current climate was that that sense of hope had been renewed and enflamed over the past month; that, without mentioning specific names during our conversations (though I’ll certainly do so now), Kamala Harris has not only offered an antidote to the potential return of Donald Trump to the presidency, but what she is representing does lay out the hope for a better tomorrow. To be sure, the road to it is going to be a long and cratered one (needed a better phrase than “bumpy”) and no one can believe it will in any way be easy, but at least it’s the offering of a light from potential darkness and division.
Consider Harris’ closing remarks in her speech: “I see an America where we hold fast to the fearless belief that built our nation. That inspired the world. That here, in this country, anything is possible. Nothing is out of reach. An America, where we care for one another, look out for one another, and recognize that we have so much more in common than what separates us. That none of us has to fail for all of us to succeed. And that, in unity, there is strength … Let us show each other — and the world — who we are. And what we stand for. Freedom. Opportunity. Compassion. Dignity. Fairness. And endless possibilities.”
Now just imagine a young William Shatner back in his gold Starfleet tunic, saying those same words and you’ll perhaps see the correlation discussed between Trek veterans and myself, and the hope that Star Trek itself has represented from the very beginning, and what we can begin striving for once again. Will we get there? Depends on which side of the proverbial fence you’re on and what happens beginning in November.
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Tags: Star Trek