From: James White [Email him]

Apropos of, well, not much, I decided to watch some late night television recently and after a few minutes of Star Trek: The Next Generation, was happy that I had.

The android, Data, had been informed of the odd behavior of a fellow crew mate, specifically the Klingon, Worf (Klingons are the supposedly Mongol-inspired people in the ST universe, though they are always played by African-Americans).

Data proceeded to observe:

"There is, of course, a genetic predisposition toward hostility among all Klingons, although Worf does seem unusually out of sorts." [ Star Trek The Next Generation Season 2, Ep# 40: "The Icarus Factor"—video]

That's my kind of automaton! I scanned the IMDB entry of the two credited writers for any further hints of "Cultural Fascism"—alas, none.

The funniest part was going to a rather voluminous fansite Trekkies and finding a breathless denunciation of the aforementioned episode:

Klingons have a genetic predisposition toward hostility, eh? That's Federation science speaking, right? I would like to know what scientific studies the Federation conducted in order to arrive at this conclusion." StarDestroyer.net

Or are they simply going by "anecdotal evidence" and gut instinct, the same way Trekkies are when they defend the Federation's racist characterizations of Klingons?

I feel the same way about the warp drive! He continues:Presumably even in the enlightened, post-scarcity world of ST:TNG, stereotype threat and White Supremacy still rule the world, not to mention the Alpha Quadrant.

It reminds me how empty art can be when, far from being a portal to the numinous, it becomes simply another portal through which we can reinforce and relish in our politically correct beliefs. I love Science-Fiction, it is, at its best, a gateway into another reality. It attracts those who seek to shake the cloying bonds of the world around us.

Today? Everything must meet current PC standards: There's No Place for Racism in the Final Frontier: Star Trek's Brilliant Episode on Discrimination, Ross Pomeroy, RealClearScience, January 17, 2014.

To sum it all up: Human Biodiversity, the real Final Frontier, is not acceptable—whether expressed in the political, scientific or imaginative arena.

See a previous letter from James White on Punch and Judy shows.