Favourite character?

[Graham Kennedy]

You know, for a series that supposedly likes to push boundries, they're extremely cautious not to actualy do so.

TOS pushed boundaries. TNG, DS9, Voyager, Enterprise never did.

Hell, Enterprise's idea of a controversial episode was to do an AIDS analogue with "Stigma". A real controversial move... if they had done it in TNG season 1 back n 1987. In 2003 "AIDS victims are human too" is about as controversial a message as "don't be cruel to puppies".

Depends which part of the world you live. Where I live gays are still considered immoral just a few miles out of town. May they burn in hell for their choice and all.

First off, "AIDS victim" does not mean the same thing as "gay".

Second, there's places where they like to be cruel to puppies too, but it's still not a controversial message. When TOS made a point about racism in Let That Be Your Last Battlefield, it was doing so at a time when racism did not just exist, but was officially accepted and endorsed. That's what made it a bold move; they were challenging orthodoxy.

There may be stigma against AIDS victims from some people today, but it's not an accepted thing. They're a distasteful minority, and we all know it. Arguing that case is about as controversial as making an episode preaching that women should be treated equally.

[Captain Seafort]

Second, there's places where they like to be cruel to puppies too, but it's still not a controversial message. When TOS made a point about racism in Let That Be Your Last Battlefield, it was doing so at a time when racism did not just exist, but was officially accepted and endorsed. That's what made it a bold move; they were challenging orthodoxy.

And, of course, "Plato's Stepchildren" - not just a thinly veiled referrence to rascism, but giving it a blatant two fingers.

[Aaron]

And, of course, "Plato's Stepchildren" - not just a thinly veiled referrence to rascism, but giving it a blatant two fingers.

Wasn't that the one with the "super-awesome they've discovered jeebus!" ending?

[Captain Seafort]

Wasn't that the one with the "super-awesome they've discovered jeebus!" ending?

No, that was "Bread and Circuses" - "Plato's Stepchildren" was the one with Kirk and Uhura's kiss.

[Aaron]

No, that was "Bread and Circuses" - "Plato's Stepchildren" was the one with Kirk and Uhura's kiss.

Ahh, after a while some of the episodes start to run together.

Thanks.

[Mark]

Quark. He was the first non starfleet, non federation, non military, non affiliated character that was ever given the oppertunity to grow. He was a great anti-hero in some episodes, and as I came to sort of undertand his Ferengi ethics it really laid into me the truth of IDIC

[Monroe]

First off, "AIDS victim" does not mean the same thing as "gay".

I know. It was an example of ignorance.

There may be stigma against AIDS victims from some people today, but it's not an accepted thing. They're a distasteful minority, and we all know it. Arguing that case is about as controversial as making an episode preaching that women should be treated equally.

There's still that stigma in large parts of the midwest. Its not a tiny faction of the population. Seems soon as I step out of my circle of friends I hit ignorance here.

[Mark]

Just for informational purposes, it's pretty well accepted out here on the islands. In fact transgender is almost considered the third gender. People don't, for the most part even bat an eyelash if someone is gay. In fact, a church group from the mid-west flew out here last month to picket OUR churches to declare Hawaii as equil to Sodom and Gamorra, and let us know we are all going to burn in hell for accepting gays (wasn't that thoughtful of them )

[Reliant121]

Just for informational purposes, it's pretty well accepted out here on the islands. In fact transgender is almost considered the third gender. People don't, for the most part even bat an eyelash if someone is gay. In fact, a church group from the mid-west flew out here last month to picket OUR churches to declare Hawaii as equil to Sodom and Gamorra, and let us know we are all going to burn in hell for accepting gays (wasn't that thoughtful of them )

i love your island.

[Mikey]

How do the Mormons feel about the issue, Mark? I know there is a very large Mormon presence in Hawai'i.

Reliant - you can't even imagine how much MORE you'd love Hawai'i once you see it. It is absolutely paradise.

[Bryan Moore]

Data has more moments that leave me smiling, but Sisko might top him slightly.

[Mark]

How do the Mormons feel about the issue, Mark? I know there is a very large Mormon presence in Hawai'i.

Reliant - you can't even imagine how much MORE you'd love Hawai'i once you see it. It is absolutely paradise.

Well, the best answer I can give are from the Mormons I know personally. I haven't heard that the church was sharing anything other that their traditional opinion. Of the six that I know, one is anti-gay,four have the "different strokes for different folks theory (not their thing but it doesn't really bother them personally), and one feels that it is a "cureable affliction" if they would just stop and try and be hetero.

As for Hawaii being paradise, I don't know. We get these radical weather shifts. In the summer it averages 85 degrees but in the winter it drops all the way down to 82 8) I so love not freezing my a$$ off

[Deepcrush]

Been to Hawaii a dozen times or so to visit family and LOVED IT every time. I was even happy and nice to people when I was there. Pearl Harbor will bring a tear to a man's eye damn quick. There's just something about that place.

[Sionnach Glic]

I was at Pearl Harbour myself. Something about that place really makes the whole thing hit home.

[Mark]

Once you get used to the local dialect it's really cool. At Pearl Harbor I once got the greatest scare of my life. One of my first jobs in Hawaii was as a security guard at the Arizona Memorial over night. Like working at a cemetary. At 3 am I'm doing my rounds on the outside front grounds and then, down by the water and I hear something. I go creeping down there, no flashlight, with my vivid imagination going crazy. I get down my the water, and BANG somebody yells. I jump six feet in the air and scream. Two more voices scream, followed by a big splash. What was it? Two local fisherman snuck into Navy waters with a small raft to "bait fish" (catch bait for later use). When I screamed (sounding alot like an eight year old girl may I add), I scared the crap out of the two fishermen, resulting in a sixty year old man getting dumped out of the boat when they jumped. Needless to say we all got a great laugh about it, but I quickly asked for a transfer.