From: rich.bellacera@amail.amdahl.com
Newsgroups: rec.arts.startrek.misc
Subject: The Quality of Life *Spoilers*
Date: 22 Nov 92 21:08:18 GMT
Return-Path: <amail.amdahl.com!rich.bellacera@juts.ccc.amdahl.com>

"The Quality of Life" while not one of the 'best' episodes by far surely
ended with one of the deepest of wisdoms any episode could offer as an
allusion to modern perplexities.  I believe there was an obvious attempt
to draw upon some contemporary thinking about just what constitutes a
measure of 'quality life'.  I think one of the most obvious allusions
is a comparison to that of an unborn fetus, but I do not think this was
what the show meant.  In simple fact it portrayed the x-ocomps as highly
developed and rational 'beings' of sorts.  I believe what the episode was
more aptly portraying was mankinds blind prejudice to those things which
it refuses to accept as possible alternatives to the accepted norm.  I
saw this episode stongly parallel another, even deeper episode: the one
which dealt with the androgynous race (I forget the title at the moment).
I was deeply moved by the last few moments of the episode.  The scene
in which the station's chief scientist said her goodbyes after asuring Data
that she would study the x-ocomps further an not to treat them as simple
'tools' (i.e. 'slave laborours') after she was finally convinced of the
possiblity of the 'beingness' when one actually sacrificed itself for two
others.  She leave the conference room, but Data lingers.

Picard:  "Is ther something more Mr. Data?"

Data:    "Yes sir.  I thought you might want to know why I was willing to
         risk your life for several small machines."

Picard:  "I think I understand the predicament you were in.  It could not
         have been an easy choice."

Data:    "No sir, it was not.  When my own status as a living being was in
         question you fought to protect my rights.  And for that I will
         always be grateful.  But the x-ocomps had no such advocate.  If I
         had not acted on their behalf they would have been destroyed.  I
         could not allow that to happen, sir."

Picard:  "Of course you couldn't.  It was the most 'human' decision you've
         ever made."


That closing scene made me think of all the wasted life that occurred during
the tyranny of Hitler and those who preceded him, and those who have taken
up his cause since.  It made me so sad to think of all those who are blinded
by their personal prejudices and fail to regaurd thier neighbors as 'worthy'
and equal humans on this planet.  It made me think of how cold we can be
toward the Samaritans whom we so readily vilify.  It also made me think of
a quote which I dug out to add to this commentary.

"In Germany they first came for the Communist, and I didn't speak up because
I wasn't a Communist.  Then they came for the Jews, and I didn't speak up
because I wasn't a Jew.  Then they came for the trade unionist, and I didn't
speak up because I wasn't a trade unionist.  Then they came for the Catholic,
but I didn't speak up because I was a Protestant.  Then they came for me --
and by that time no one was left to speak up."
                                    - Pastor Martin Niemoller, Berlin, 1946

What *is* the quality of life?

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Newsgroups: rec.arts.startrek.misc