From: goodwin@orionsci (Ben Goodwin)
Subject: Re: Locarno = Kirk (Spoilers "First Duty"))
Reply-To: goodwin@orionsci.UUCP (Ben Goodwin)
Organization: Orion Scientific, Inc.
Date: Tue, 07 Apr 1992 12:34:27 GMT

In article <1992Apr5.221926.12208@acsu.buffalo.edu> v075q5fr@ubvmsb.cc.buffalo.edu (Scott J Gorcey) writes:
>Important Pieces of the Discussion After Spoiler:
>
>
>>|>	It almost seems that Lacarno's character is modelled after James
>>|>     Kirk.

Sorry, can't agree with you.

[snip]
>
>     Is hiding on Vulcan for three months while being tried in absentia
>     the act of a man willing to immediately face the music?
>
>     And anyway, you are overlooking the point: Locarno is Kirk ^as a
>     cadet,^  as a KID.  I sincerely doubt Kirk was hatched a fully formed
>     Captain Horatio Hornblower.  Let's remember who cheated on the 
>     Kobyashi Maru simulation.  

Sorry you forgot a very big IMHO there.  I don't see the link between
Kirk and Locarno.  Yes he cheated, and it was a brilliant stroke 
executed by a man who couldn't except defeat.  I don't think that Kirk
was endangering anybody by cheating on the Kobyashi Maru.  This link
that everyone has drawn between Kirk's Kobyashi Maru reprogramming and
Locarno's lust for glory falls way short IMHO.

>
>     In the end, Locarno lived up to his stated code of honor - put the
>     team first, no matter what - by taking all the blame and being the
>     only one expelled.  If you go back and look at the episode, you'll
>     see that Locarno's every act was an attempt to safeguard THE TEAM
>     as a whole.  

I agree somewhat, but not totally.  One of the best forms of peer pressure
is to say something to the affect, "Don't do it, or you'll screw all
of us over."  I think Locarno was throwing out every argument he could
think of to disuade Wesley from spilling the beans.  By using the group
pressure he was applying a little more leverage.  The girls would also
be busted and it wasn't their fault supposedly.  They just went along with
a stunt that got a cadet killed.

As for Locarno's last act, I don't give him too much credit for it.  As the
leader of the group, senior cadet, and originator of the plan (I assume),
he was gone anyway.  Nothing he could say or do would change that.  In his
position I would have done the exact same thing.  In fact I would have 
lied my head off saying that I pressured the others into going along, 
threatened to remove them from the team, and promised to short sheet 
their beds if they didn't do the maneuver.  Why? Because I would see 
that my situation is hopeless, realize that I am to blame, and take 
the necessary steps to help those who I had poorly commanded 
(Play Star Spangled Banner while reading above :)

>
>     Admittedly, they were the ^wrong^ acts, but he was a kid and he was
>     scared to death.  

He was a manipulative immature person not ready for duty in StarFleet.
Hum, I'm being a little harsh, but I can't help it.  I've met people
like him before, the perfect people who can do no wrong and think the
world revolves around them.

>
>     BTW, anyone notice the time frame for the ^last^ attempted Culvort
>     Starburst (spelling?) -- 100 years ago.  Kirk himself?...     

Cheap shot!

Hey, how come Michael Rawdon isn't jumping in and defending Kirk?
Michael, are you there?  Last time I slammed Kirk you jumped right in. :)
-- 
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