I Just Want To Say Something
Keith’s note: In light of the naked racism coming from the White House and the impact that it has had on societal events of late I need to say something. We are stronger as a result of our diversity – not weakened by it. Humanity evolved elsewhere – not in America. As such we are all immigrants. Full stop.
We have had a space station in orbit for decades that is the collaborative effort of many nations. When political strife fractures relationships on Earth, space keeps them intact. Small wonder that the ISS has been nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize (recently endorsed by NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine).
Back in the 1960s when the original “Star Trek” first aired, we had a black and white TV. My first exposure to the future was a multi-ethnic/multi-racial/multi-species/gender-balanced crew exploring the universe. I fell for it. It never left me and resonates in my mind to this day half a century later. Alas, back in the 60s, with near simultaneity 20 feet away in my back yard, I was playing catch with a friend of mine. He was black. His name was Wesley. My bigoted neighbors shouted a racial slur at him. We played catch at his house after that. These two things clashed in my young mind. Yet the Star Trek ethos prevailed.
Indeed, in 2009, I had a resonant Star Trek epiphany of sorts in Nepal as I supported Scott Parazynski’s ascent of Everest: “My Star Trek Episode at Everest“.
Over the past 23 years that I have edited NASAWatch I have tried to avoid mention of partisan politics – and, when my personal views showed through, I openly admitted them – but sought contrary views.
NASA is being pushed to reassert, speed up, reinvigorate America’s efforts in space. Hurray. Let’s have more. Let’s race back to the Moon and then to other places and try to out-compete one another with all manner of cool stuff such that we all benefit in the end.
But in so doing, America needs to assert itself in space in a way that advances the interests and the dreams of all Americans – and do so in a way that encourages all other nations to engage in space exploration in a fashion that advances the interests of all of humanity.
We’ve all seen those Star Trek episodes where worlds fall into chaos, tear themselves apart, and play only a negative role in the overall legacy of the universe. Let’s not do that. We need to do the right thing.
Just sayin’
Note: my comments do not reflect on anyone at NASA. If anything the interest in diversity practiced by the folks behind the glass doors on the 9th floor embodies what I am talking about. As for NASAWatch readers who do not like what I have said and/or respond with profanity or threaten to never visit this site again: bye bye.
Thank you KC for being clear about where you stand. Count me in, Star Trek experience and other real life experiences to boot. The space exploration community should be especially aware of our broad responsibility beyond national or provincial interests -especially before the frogs make deals with the scorpions, easily over-rationalizing about seemingly overlapping interests. It’s all too easy to normalize hatred, racism, bigotry, demonizing who’s different, and as bad, or worse, hiding behind a word salad of superficial rational-lies. Let’s all go explore what’s out there, coming together more along the way, conquering challenges and being worthy of inheriting the stars, not just because we somehow made it.
Stand your ground, Keith. Our culture and civilization is on the razor’s edge of falling back into the cave, or leaping permanently into the sky. I know which result I want to experience. This President sets no standard I will bear or example I will follow. Ever.
This x1000.
Kol-Ut-Shan
“Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations. Symbolising the elements that create truth and beauty.”
Live long and prosper!
Ad Luna! Ad Ares! AD ASTRA!
To quote another famous sci-fi show, Babylon 5: Ambassador Delenn, saying what is special about humans, and why they are formidable:
“You build communities. And from that diversity comes a strength that few can stand against”
You do understand that B5, Star Trek, and every other show is scripted. The story plays out in whatever way the author wants it to.
Of course it’s scripted and of course it’s fiction. Unfortunately, we still have a long way to go with respect to discrimination and racism. We have not yet attained the future utopia that Gene Roddenberry sought, and I’m sure we never will. But that does not mean we shouldn’t try to stamp out discrimination and racism when we see it.
And? The same thing is true of “Do the Right Thing”, or, if it is more to your tastes, the totally inaccurate “Birth of a Nation.” Or, for that matter, “An Enemy of the People” or “Mother Courage and Her Children.” Lots of well-written and inspirational political commentary is published in the form of fiction. As well as bogus propaganda, since I did just mention “Birth of a Nation.” Why not judge the ideas as ideas, rather than dismiss them because they are expressed in fictional movies, plays or books?
And let’s not forget a couple of the classics, like Gulliver’s Travel’s and Utopia…
Here’s a relevant NASA video: https://www.youtube.com/wat…
Thanks!
Make sure this is shared with NASA. I’ve been unable to discover who Bridenstine has put in charge of submitting a nomination this time around.
As Q stated (True Q, Season 6, Episode 6) “Make no mistake Picard, the jury is still out on humanity.”
While we are drawing lessons from Star Trek, may I suggest TNG episode “The Drumhead” (S4Ep21 ) for considered review. I’m sure the episode is available at the click of a mouse, but I’ll cite an interesting excerpt here:
Captain Jean-Luc Picard: You know, there are some words I’ve known since I was a schoolboy: “With the first link, the chain is forged. The first speech censured, the first thought forbidden, the first freedom denied, chains us all irrevocably.” Those words were uttered by Judge Aaron Satie, as wisdom and warning. The first time any man’s freedom is trodden on, we’re all damaged. I fear that today…
Admiral Nora Satie: How dare you! You who consort with Romulans, invoke my father’s name to support your traitorous arguments. It is an offense to everything I hold dear. And to hear those words used to subvert the United Federation of Planets. My father was a great man! His name stands for integrity and principle. You dirty his name when you speak it! He loved the Federation. But you, Captain, corrupt it. You undermine our very way of life. I will expose you for what you are. I’ve brought down bigger men than you, Picard!
One of today’s “drumhead” inquisitions, recently concluded, has been self-exposed for what it really was, but others go on, fueled by kangaroo courts of cut-and-paste yellow journalism designed to manipulate bread and circuses (another Star Trek episode worth revisiting) public opinion and topped with astonishing and shameless hypocrisy and selective outrage. I may not care for every last thing I see on Twitter or the way it’s phrased, but I have almost five decades (since about age 14) of practice in recognizing knee-jerk twisted responses and rank unfairness.
THIS is the level of otherwise highly intelligent space advocates who dream of becoming a space-faring civilization (a dream I passionately share)? It’s with a heavy heart that I’m compelled to express my deep doubts about that possibility under these conditions.. Not as long as we practice the very things we decry. We’ll never tar-and-feather our way to the Star Trek dream.
I’ve never posted to this forum before. Before I’m deleted and banned by the moderator (in the name of “diversity,” of course) because it “doesn’t fit the narrative,” I’ll close with Mr. Cowing’s favorite phrase, because it seems to have some meaning to him:
“Just sayin.”
Diversity by it’s very definition is weakness. The root word of diverse is divide. Name one multi-ethnic empire that has survived. Iraq, the Soviet Union, Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia, Austria-Hungary, Ottoman Empire, Byzantine Empire, Roman Empire, and the remains of many others reside in the garbage bin of history.
When people finally do begin expanding into the cosmos, they will have to be a highly homogeneous group. Internal conflict will have to be mitigated to a bare minimum so they can function in a hostile environment. Uniformity and cohesion will be the key to their survival. Star Trek isn’t real, just pulp drivel.
This is the last time you are posting here.
because – you know – your diverse opinion is valued here.
You’re essentially saying to “Tolerate my intolerance” and “There are good people on both sides of this issue”.
Sorry, it doesn’t work that way.
Indeed, allowing hate to flower is not tolerance it is illegal in most civil societies.
It is one of life’s dark ironies how the intolerant seem wedded to a corrupted vision of the fasces. In Aesops tale the point was strength through unity, not homogeneity. The original brothers were all bickering and textbook cases of diversity.
Kieth I have posted here on and off for years and would like to thank you for such a resource. It has provided and continues to provide many different perspectives on our business which I have found particularly helpful over the years. This is entirely down to your living and breathing Voltaire’s Maxim. A credit to you and those who raised you. I lurk under a nom de plume because my opinions are my own and I do not want to draw any attention for them to my employer and I am aware that this puts constraints on how I must conduct myself on this forum (or any for that matter). I am not a US citizen though I have lived and worked there and appreciate the particular challenges you have. When I was there I found the shear volume of the misimformation overwhelming. I take my hat off to the many many decent people who maintain their equilibrium in such a maelstrom. These are strange times and the temptation to husband what light we have must be enormous. So thank you.
Many define hate as those views they don’t agree with.
I am sure many do but for me the definition is simple: Hate is when you attack the person and not the view. Freedom of speech doesn’t permit hate.
Pulp Drivel…well, when I think back to where we were in the mid-60’s. and the subsequent watershed of professions either created in the wake of this TV show, or the careers which many people (including astronauts) worked, or are working, to achieve – and did and will – I question and challenge your assertion that “Star Trek” is pulp drivel.
The message time and time again in the series is “WE can do better – individually or collectively, IF we have the will to do so”:
https://youtu.be/b_YGjK5K_Zw
What better message is there, when used as an encouragement to young people who are looking for something more beneficial in their lives than living on the dole?
Wow! A defense of racism and perhaps sexism in 2019. Many are determined to remain backward despite the contrary
evidence.
Right, and <sarcasm>we all know that people of diverse backgrounds can’t get along and work to a single purpose, especially under stress</sarcasm>. There’s a monument at the top of the Boston Common to the (white) officers and (black) men of the 54th Massachusetts that blows that racist cant to smithereens.
Your list is an argument against the point you tried to make. Some of the nations and empires on that list are among the longest unchanged governments in history.
Spot on Marc. Byzantines lasted over 1,000 years!!!!!!
Ottomans held together their empire on same terrain for almost 600 years, no mean feat for either, especially given the central location, with enemies and rivals on every border.
How long has the USA existed? 243 years? Long way to go, Vagabond. “Sic Transit Gloria Mundi”.
Vagabond also cites 19th century and 20th century nations states as ’empires’, so has a pretty dim idea of what constitutes an empire in any case. He’s too busy watching Youtube videos peddling alt.right genetic-deterministic reductotwaddle.
Thank you, Keith. Star Trek had a similar effect on me.
It’s important to remember that the Space Race was not primarily a nationalist endeavor for either the US or Soviet Union, aimed at their own citizens, but rather a contest to produce an incredible symbol of which governmental/economic system was superior for the globe. Not quite internationalism, but still striving for inclusion and diversity. “We came in peace for all mankind.” I shudder to think of what Project Artemis’s plaque will say if it lands during the reign of the current administration.
“I shudder to think of what Project Artemis’s plaque will say if it lands during the reign of the current administration”
Perhaps “Coming Soon: Trump-Shackleton Crater Hotel and Casino”?
Since just about every major program by NASA has delays, I expect a plaque be on the moon after 2025 so who will be President then? Pence, Warren? Apollo 11 landing and its plaque wasn’t intensely political, not sure what Artemis will be. So far HSF has not been a hotbed of political conflict. Robotic rovers however have no political leanings like humans.
Thanks to Keith for some interesting discussion. A book can be written if not already of political similarities and differences between Apollo and Artemis.
An apolitical aside – if our future lunar missions get plaques, we’re doing it wrong. Routine airline flights don’t get monuments. Trips to the Moon shouldn’t be getting get them anymore, either.
Routine air flight don’t get plaques or awards, so I agree with you to that extent. But I have seen some for things like the first commercial flight from a particular airport, or the first scheduled flight on a particular route. Or perhaps the thousandth flight. I wouldn’t begrudge a spacecraft or it’s crew some recognition for hitting milestones like that. But that’s something to mount on the aircraft’s bulkhead, not put in a museum or a history book.
Since the entire Starship returns to Earth the astronauts on it will have to just leave the plaque on the lunar surface, just the old sailing ships did when exploring. Best place would probably be to mount it on the laser reflectors they will, or should, leave behind at each new landing site. Hopefully someone is thinking of a standard design to use for those reflector arrays.
The only “naked racism coming from the White House” is that which the left rabidly creates and distorts in order to support their own goals.
But yes, thank you for making your position clear.
I’ll show myself out now. Good day.
Bye -bye.
PRC do not leave. The fact that Keith, who routinely criticized over years of this forum the lack of innovation and movement within NASA cannot see how Trump has benefited the cause he is truly passionate about is unfortunate. So many people, from people in FBI, to people in congress to regular people also have been affected by the Trump derangement pattern of dismissing improvement. Despite Keith’s descent into some unnecessary echo of Don Lemon, he does exemplary work in bringing to light important issues that the US space program faces. If you leave, you will truly miss out.
My site, my opinions. I let people like you use fake names and say what you wish. You throw these insults at me – and I do not even know who you are. Its easy to throw stuff around when no one knows who you are.
“In light of the NAKED RACISM coming from the White House…”
Did I accidentally click on Vox, or Mother Jones website?
You are more than welcome to read another website if you do not like this one. Have a nice day.
I was hoping you would have taken my post in the spirit intended…a bit of friendly cheekiness. Not quite sure why it elicited that response from you.
Don’t you know that words have different meanings depending on whether you have an R or D after your name? Compare the reactions to comments about Baltimore by DJT, Bernie, and former mayor Pugh. They basically said the same things, but only one induces knickers to self twist.
Probably many have heard the story told by Nichelle Nichols where she was thinking about leaving Star Trek after one season to accept an offer for a long dreamed about role on Broadway. None other than Martin Luther King Jr. himself convinced her to stay, explaining to her the importance of her highly visible role.
For me I think the character that really got my attention when I first watched it was Chekov. Star Trek was filmed during the height of the Cold War and the space race, and yet here was a Russian right on the bridge front and center. At the time it seemed almost as much science fiction as warp drive.
Thanks for posting this Keith, and for creating NASAWatch.
My sentiments too, Keith.
I respect the work and values you contribute each day.
Sincerely, A Canadian Neighbor and Ally.
And I totally respect that. The terse reply just seemed a bit out of character. In any event, your point is well taken. Cheers, John
I am with you 100% on the shared experience of our youth in being inspired by Star Trek’s vision of what a racially diverse team with a common purpose can achieve. In fact, it was my honor to experience a taste of that during my years as part of the ISS ops team at NASA JSC, where successful collaboration amongst nationally, linguistically, racially and culturally diverse teammates on-site and across the globe was a daily reality. So, other than your opening salvo of classic anti-Trump hyperbole, I feel you. What I honestly don’t get is where the claims of ‘naked racism’ and anti-immigrant bias come from. Specifically, why do none of Trumps critics seem capable of making the rather straightforward distinction between legal and illegal immigrants? Is failure to support the notion that anyone (everyone?) living between the Rio Grande and Tierra del Fuego is welcome to cross our border any old time they wish now considered to be racist? Until election day 2016, the foolishness of this open borders idea was pretty much universally accepted by both left and right. How did common sense morph into ‘racism’ in just over two short years? I am not trying to be contentious. I sincerely want to hear a rational answer to this question…assuming there is one.
It’s going way off topic, but most of the criticisms about racism I’ve seen were in response to Mr. Trump’s statements. Specifically ones where _he_ wasn’t making a distinction between legal and illegal immigrants.
OR in people seeking asylum ..
If you can’t see it for yourself there is little I can do to help you see it.
Thank-you for this web site.
Wow, good for you Keith. And double wow, regarding the negative responses! I think that there needs to be one more Star Trek episode where it reveals that the whole of Star Fleet is actually Canadian based, even though we did lease a large part of San Francisco for our Starfleet Academy. In typical Canadian fashion, we at Starfleet never brought that up before (sorry about that)! We have built a multi racial and socially liberal society where we all try to get along as best we can. Don’t get me wrong, we have all kinds of hick-ups and warts. And don’t equate the governing Liberal Party as the ideal of Canadians, there are many of us that loathe it! But, you know, we just try to vote it out, not shoot others who don’t agree…
I have a Canadian business partner … 😉
Well that explains it…
Marc does a great job.
Also, we leverage the limelight by prominently displaying “Canada”, usually in the foreground, emblazoned on the Canadarm when any photo is displaying whatever the Canadarm is holding. Hey, we weren’t born yesterday!
Apollo program was able to employ many Canadian engineers very experienced in complex aerospace systems that were laid off by Avro (we’ve recognized 50th anniversary of first moon landing), James Doohan and William Shatner are from Canada (recognized in above photo), Keith’s business partner from Canada (and recognized here). All this to a post regarding Canadians. Something in common?
Thank you for this.
I actually made some of my students and post-docs watch the original. I was horrified that many of the “young people” have never watched any Star Trek, or at best those whiz-bang Chris Pine things. There is a problem these days that many of them don’t understand the cultural context of the show.
Drives me nuts. Many younger people seem to be genuinely unaware that the world existed before they were born. Utterly incapable of imagining that people in the past lived in a different culture (and here’s where it’s scary: many can’t even conceive of the atmosphere of the 80s, even as they wallow in 80s nostalgia!)
Growing up in the 70s and 80s, we’d always watch older media, BW, silent even – so the existence of people like Bogart, Cagney, Cary Grant, Bette Davis etc., was not a shock, or the fact that they lived in a very different society. But the detachment that KIDS TODAY™ have really seems an order of magnitude or two higher than any time before.
There’s the example of people who were shocked to find out that ‘Titanic’ was based on a true story, for example. Or the tweet complaining about “that old dude playing at the Grammy awards” (it was Paul McCartney).
OK, that’s all absurd, but it can become troubling when they begin to judge the past by their own very recent standards of moral purity. ST TOS would certainly not be acceptable to 2019 standards, if my experiences online have been a guide.
Or that Apollo 13 was based on a true story.
While Star Trek was inspiring I loved the Star Wars bar scene even more. The bar is filled with beings of every color, gender, shape and size, getting drunk, fighting, and generally having a good time. Totally egalitarian. Luke and Ben come up to the door followed by R2D2 and C3PO, and the bouncer, the disdain dripping from his words, says :
. . “You’ll have to leave your droids outside.
. . . We don’t serve their kind in here.”
Wow! Racism coming from the White House? No one else has “racist” thoughts then? Keith, you should go back to bashing NASA, that’s your better strength.
Of course other folks have racist thoughts. We’ll likely never be completely rid of the ugliness that is racism. It has however completely different when the President makes racist statements, normalizes racist behavior and hatred, and as a result creates fertile ground for racism, hatred, and violence too spread.
“Some very fine people on both sides.” Surely you don’t need to go farther than that, do you? https://www.theatlantic.com…
I would suggest looking at the original transcript o=and not base your comments on what the biased Atlantic says.
Love your site, and you absolutely can say whatever you like. I am a bit confused by this post’s 5th vs last paragraph. Do you seek contrary views, or instead want people who don’t like what you say to go away?
I have gotten profane comments and people saying that they will never read NASAWatch again because of my commentary. My response is “bye bye”. If you have read NASAWatch at any point in the last 23 years you would know that there are contrary views posted every day
Partisan crap.
I must have missed all this “naked racism” coming out of the White House. I see a good deal of naked hate coming out of the Left and the Left Wing Media.
You shouldn’t fall for old Soviet Union ploy “if you say a lie often enough it becomes a truth.”
There is not a single bone in President Trump’s body that is racist. It is absurd to say so. But it is the only thing the Democrats can scream about and see if it sticks, To some apparently chanting nonsense is convincing.
Yes, you seem to have missed it since it is there.
Odd. We don’t seem to be living in the same world. Wasn’t Mr. Trump the one who, as a presidential candidate, said immigrants were a bunch of violent criminals bringing drugs and sexual abuse into the United States? Despite the face that isn’t really true, and only applies to a tiny fraction of illegal immigrants (and essentially no legal immigrants) match his description. And, when he has, in recorded words, talked about abusing women and gropping their viginas? How can you claim that someone who has said those things has no discriminatory bones in his body?
No, he was referring to illegal immigrants and said some were good. Many or most Americans don’t think of those from other countries as another race. But some have attempted to redefine the term.
Bones aren’t racist, and pointless tropes like that are just a waste of air or bits.
Anyone who rabble rouses to feed his narsicisstic needs with repeated “rallies,” reminiscent of Nazi and Fascist rallies in the 1930s, with racist descriptions of all immigrants, even asylum seekers, as dangerous criminals, is a racist. Anyone who equates violent racists in Charlottesville with counterdemonstraters, then apologies anemically, then retracts the apology, is a racist. Anyone who purposely establishes a policy of separating brown asylum seekers’ children from their parents at the border is a racist. anyone who again and again and again equates asylum seekers with invaders is blowing as hard as he can on the dog whistle of racism.
If you cannot see that, not one little bit, I hope you enjoy your white privilege but don’t screw this country over for everyone else — because everyone else who lives here has rights too.
You may attribute “if you say a lie often enough it becomes a truth” to the USSR if it pleases you, but it’s basic psychology. Trump uses this tactic constantly. It’s gotten to the point where if I hear him attacking someone else for something, I have 100% confidence that he’s the one who’s been committing that offense, whatever it might be, and he’s desperately trying to divert attention from himself.
I’m wondering how it is that you can miss what seems to be obvious fact about the horrible behavior and values of this administration. It leaves me wondering what you use for information sources. Could you share?
The term you’re looking for is “big lie” propaganda. It’s not a new idea. But I believe the first overt description of it as a propaganda technique, and the name for it, are from Hitler’s 1925 book, _Mein_Kampf._
Not a single bone?
Um, let’s start with him not renting to Blacks at his properties in New York City.
Then, his whole behavior during the Central Park Five case, calling for the death penalty for kids who eventually were found innocent. Not to mention his calling for “all of the animals to be cleared from the streets”. These comments led to stop and frisk, which made my life as a teenage minority male not fun.
You have no idea.
Thanks Keith. Decent Americans are rejecting the whole spectrum of moral corruption this terrible president promotes every day.
“When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross.”
Thank you Keith. I’ve only just seen this, but I very much agree.
Well said Keith. As someone who also grew up watching Star Trek in the 60’s on a black and white TV, the show had the same impact on me.