From: kyle@uunet.uu.net (Kyle Jones)
Subject: Re: Lacarno = Kirk (Spoilers "1st Duty)
Organization: UUNET Technologies, Inc
Date: Wed, 8 Apr 1992 17:56:47 GMT

 > > > > Nay, I'd say Locarno has learned the lessons of life very
 > > > > well. [...]
 > > > 
 > > > Are you kidding?
 > >
 > > Not at all.  Wesley's confession didn't bring Josh back, and Josh
 > > decided for himself to attempt the maneuver.  Self-immolation for
 > > no gain was more stupid than the stunt they pulled to land them
 > > in mess they were in.  Locarno was right; Wes should have resigned.
 > 
 > Are you kidding? :)
 > 
 > Oh come on.  The team screwed up and they should have faced
 > the medicine.  No flame, but your response IMO speaks badly of
 > you.  People should own up to their actions IMO.

Acting without thinking is what got Wesley into this mess.
Confessing without thinking is no better.  Tbe benefits of
keeping silent should have been weighed against the the benefits
of coming forward with the truth.  Despite Picard's sanctimonious
speech, there is nothing special about the truth.  There are only
actions and consequences.  Picard and Kirk both know this, and
have been willing to perpetrate all manner of falsehood to
"protect the team".

 > Saying that nobody was hurt by the team's blaming Josh is
 > incorrect.  Josh's family was hurt, Picard was stunned and
 > lost respect for Wesley.  The three team members, not Locarno,
 > would have this terrible secret following them for the rest of
 > their life.

Josh's family was hurt, yes, but mostly because Josh was dead.
He goofed and he died as a result.  The other members pinned the
blame on him because it was his fault.

Picard never respected Wesley.  He only saw Wesley for what he
could be, and never for what he was.  It was always Picard's
expectations, Picard's approval, Picard's respect.  Picard is a
great person to know of, but a lousy person to know.

 > If Locarno was unwilling to come forth and admit his mistake, was willing
 > to let someone he commanded take the blame just because he's dead and
 > won't care, then he's unfit for command.

Foo.  It is foolish to expect commanders to take the blame for
the actions of their subordinates.  Commanders are not omniscient
and omnipotent, and their subordinates are intelligent beings with
free wills.

 > Locarno was ultimately responsible for the accident.  It was stated rather
 > clearly that everyone on the team had noticed that Joshua had been shaky
 > of late and wasn't up to the maneuver.  But Locarno ran it anyway because
 > it would be a glorious ending to a glorious academy career.

Locarno took the blame to save the rest of the team.  Wesley said
that "we thought we could do anything", meaning the whole team.
Everyone was to blame, if any coercion was involved.  As it was I
think Josh made his own decision, and he suffered the consequences.

 > If you don't believe you should be held accountable for your actions then
 > there's no need to go any farther.

No, I do believe people should be held accountable for their
actions.  But I also believe that justice is never absolute, and
you have to think before you put yourself at the mercy of what
someone else considers justice.  I don't agree with the
military's dogmatic attitudes regarding what they consider truth
and honor and justice.

 > If Locarno had admitted immediately what they had been doing,
 > then he *might* not have been expelled.  he showed very poor
 > judgement more than once in this episode.  He was unfit to
 > command and therefore unfit for Starfleet.

Perhaps.  Locarno obviously had a lot of potential.  You don't
think he could learn from this latest experience and become a
better officer?  If you threw people out every time they made bad
decisions, there wouldn't be anyone left in Starfleet.

Newsgroups: rec.arts.startrek.current