I Just Want To Say Something (Again)
Keith’s note: I originally posted this on 7 August 2019. Give today’s political events I thought it was worth reposting.
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In light of the naked racism and politics of division 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 25 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 again, Keith. I missed this the first time you posted it. Maybe we can have some “belief” when a Black preacher, and a Jewish man can get elected to the US Senate in Georgia. Maybe there is some hope for us Americans. (full disclosure – I was fortunate to get to know Keith a LONG time ago!)
Well said.
Yes, well said! We have come a long way in terms of diversity, from when the only astronaut candidates were male, because they had to be fighter pilots and there were no female fighter pilots, to the present when selections are made regardless of gender, race, creed, color, ethnicity and orientation. That is not to say we can’t improve. But at least technical competency in various fields seems to be the main criteria. Yes, it would be nice if all nations of Earth could co-operate in expanding exploring the Final Frontier, but until that day comes, if it ever does, America must be in the lead. To do that, we must have the backing of the general public, and that will require education and advocacy by those of us who believe that the problems on Earth can be helped in a major way by space exploration and development, both by NASA and privately.
To the Moon, Mars and the Stars!
Well, continuing on my bad mood comments, I’m not sure if you are correct about how NASA astronauts being selected for the Artemis missions. You wrote, “The present when selections are made regardless of gender, race, creed, color, ethnicity and orientation.” That’s how NASA usually works, but the Artemis Program has specifically said that the next astronaut to walk on the Moon will be a woman. That’s not “regardless of gender”, it’s a mandate from the President about the gender of the next American to set foot on the Moon.
I think it would be much better if NASA could have a corp of qualified astronauts who really represented to population. 50% male, 50% female; 73% white, 13% black, 5% asian, etc. And then just picked the best people from that pool of candidates. If that was it was done, the next person to walk on the Moon might not be a woman. But the next twenty people to walk on the Moon, is would be like to include ten women, one or two African-Americans, etc. That’s sort of like how NASA picked astronauts since the start of the Shuttle program. Dr. Ride wasn’t selected for flight because she was a woman, nor was Col. Collins; they were selected because they were the right people for the job, not because of their reproductive anatomy.
Amen.
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I guess I’m in a bad mood, so perhaps you’ll forgive me. But I will also note that the original Star Trek series had the female characters dressed in uniforms with fairly short skirts, and the later series had a tendency to cast women with large breasts and put them in tight-fitting clothes.
For a 1960s television show, Star Trek was a model of diversity and inclusion. But we’ve come a long way from the 1960s and we’ve still got a long way to go. So I’d call the original Star Trek a major step in a long process, not an example of what we ultimately want our nation to be like.
The Jan 7 S3 finale of ST:Discovery got lost in the events of the day before, but to avoid spoilers I’ll just say it’s a long, long way from ST:TOS. The corresponding Ready Room episode with Wil Wheaton interviewing Sonequa Martin-Green, Michelle Paradise, and Olatunde Osunsanmi is also an excellent watch. Simply having an ST franchise where the two leading characters are very commanding women is major progress.
Onya Keith.
Cheers
Neil
Thanks Keith. I very much agree with this.