From: tdlowe01@ulkyvx.louisville.edu (Tony D. Lowe)
Subject: Re: "The First Duty" **SPOILERS**
Summary: Hotshots pull hotshot stunts.
Organization: University of Louisville
Distribution: usa
Date: Wed, 8 Apr 1992 17:28:10 GMT

In article <955@netxcom.netx.com>, jan@netex.netx.com (Jan Wiles) writes:
> I mean really!  Consider the basic premise at least:  these kids decide
> to break a REALLY major rule in order to do some grandstanding at 
> commencement.  Even if they hadn't killed one of their team in practice,
> and had actually performed this silly-ass stunt in public, they STILL
> would have been thrown out of Starfleet for doing it.  I can't see
> Wesley, at least, throwing away his career for a dangerous gesture.

Well, I found it to be believable.  Remember in TOP GUN, for example,
Maverick was a hotshot known for pulling such "silly-ass" stunts.  He did a
fly by on the tower twice, even after being told not to both times.  He
wasn't tossed out of Top Gun, but was only reprimanded.  The second time,
after completing the mission in the Indian Ocean nothing, was even said to
him.

To use a Star Trek example:  Kirk tampered with the simulator used for the
Kobayashi Maru scenario and he wasn't thrown out of the Academy.  He was
given a commendation for original thinking!

I think the only reason the stunt that Wesley and company were trying to
pull was at issue was that someone had been killed.  Which is why the
maneuver was banned in the first place -- it's extremely dangerous.  If
things had gone as they had planned (they pulled it off, not they covered it
up) I think they would only have gotten slapped on the wrist.

Hotshots pulling stunts is expected.  That's what hotshots do; it's what
makes them hotshots.  And the team leader was definitely a hotshot.  He just
wanted to go out in a blaze of glory, but the worst that could happen, did
happen.  Unfortunately.  I'm not a hotshot myself, but I can certainly
sympathize the desire.

> Having killed the most sensible member of the team (he had enough sense
> to be nervous about this), they get held back a year and have to graduate
> late.  BIG F***** DEAL!  What should have happened is they all should have
> been thrown out, then all charged with manslaughter.

What was the name of the one that got killed?  Neil?  Anyway, even though
they talked him into doing it when he didn't really want to, they didn't
force him.  No one was holding him at gun point, he simply gave in to peer
pressure.  It was his choice.  Unfortunately, something went terribly wrong
and he was killed in the attempt.  It was an accident.  The others were
involved, but they were not responsible.  However unwillingly, Neil
consented to doing it.

IMHO, of course.

(BTW Jan:  I decided to post this after I sent you e-mail or I wouldn't have
done both.  But after rereading your posting, especially the last paragraph,
I thought it appropriate.  -tdl)

  Tony D. Lowe, The HapMaster BITNET:   tdlowe01@ulkyvx.bitnet
  North Computer Center       INTERNET: tdlowe01@ulkyvx.louisville.edu
  University of Louisville       or     tdlowe01%ulkyvx.bitnet@cunyvm.cuny.edu
            "Another brilliant mind ruined by higher education."