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From: merchant@dartvax.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.startrek
Subject: Re: *SPOILER* Star Trek III synopsis - (nf)
Message-ID: <1814@dartvax.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 9-Jun-84 13:10:46 EDT
Article-I.D.: dartvax.1814
Posted: Sat Jun  9 13:10:46 1984
Date-Received: Wed, 13-Jun-84 01:45:15 EDT
References: <477@ihlts.UUCP> <5800012@uokvax.UUCP>
Organization: Dartmouth College
Lines: 51

{ Two cents change, sir... }

Ah, but do the ends justify the means?  First, I don't think that Spock
is that impressive.  If so, Starfleet would have probably dealt with it 
themselves.  He's just another officer...maybe a little brighter than
most, but another officer.  Remember ST:TMP?  Spock had left.  There was
ANOTHER VULCAN SCIENCE OFFICER COMING ON BOARD.  He got chewed up in
the transporter.  Spock isn't the only Vulcan in Starfleet, I'm sure.

What you're saying, though, is that "Yeah, Jim broke the rules, but
everything worked out okay, so let's just call it amends."  Well, let's
say that in Star Trek 4, Jim goes on to defeat the Klingon Empire and
make that part of the Universe safe for humanity.  Kills lots of people,
lays ruin about three or four planets, but hey!  No problem, right?

I'm sorry.  The ends DO NOT justify the means.  Jim Kirk broke the rules,
for whatever the "good" reason.  The elimination of the Klingon Empire
seems like a good reason.  If Jim Kirk figures that he can do it with
a starship and five other people, should he be allowed?  No!  Of course
not!
 
Okay, okay.  Everything worked out well THIS time.  Kirk was in the right
place at the right time and managed to save the universe.  Marvy.  Let's
just say, though, that the Klingons hadn't been involved.  Jim shows up
and suddenly has to deal with the Grissom.  That might have made a better
story, actually.  What does Jim Kirk do when the captain of the Grissom
puts him under arrest?  He has to save his friend, but he's facing a
possible prison sentence or maybe the death penalty.  Scotty said the
Enterprise wasn't battle ready.  And, if he fired on the Grissom or any
of it's crewpeople, if they beamed aboard, Jim would be in REALLY BIG
TROUBLE!      

See what I'm saying, though?  Jim didn't go out there to fight Klingons
and save the day.  It just kind of worked out that way.  But he still
broke the law and should be punished.  If a private steals a tank to go
joyriding and, on the way, manages to blow up an enemy tank, does he get
a medal?  No!  He broke the law.  And it wasn't as if he was doing it
because he KNEW the enemy tank was out there and he had to save the regiment.
He did it because it's a new turbo tank and he wants to see whether he can
jump it over Beggar's Canyon.  
 
Sorry.  Jim better be up shits creek.  If Star Fleet looks the other way
at this, Star Fleet is a very bad organization and the Federation better
demolish it and put in something better.
--
"To Boldly Split Infinitives
 where infinitives have never
 been split before!"                                Peter Merchant