'Star Trek' Cast And Crew Unite Against Trump

Space may be the final frontier, but Donald Trump as president goes too far — at least, as far as the Facebook group “Trek Against Trump” is concerned. The group issued an open letter Wednesday inveighing against the Republican presidential candidate. Best of all, it came with the endorsement of a constellation of Star Trek luminaries, including George Takei, J.J. Abrams, and dozens of actors and writers from the entire run of the franchise.

“Star Trek has always offered a positive vision of the future, a vision of hope and optimism, and most importantly, a vision of inclusion, where people of all races are accorded equal respect and dignity, where individual beliefs and lifestyles are respected so long as they pose no threat to others,” the letter begins. “We cannot turn our backs on what is happening in the upcoming election.”

“Never has there been a presidential candidate who stands in such complete opposition to the ideals of the Star Trek universe as Donald Trump,” it continued.

The letter had specific admonishments for those thinking of voting third-party in November, saying, “We have heard people say they will vote Green or Libertarian or not at all because the two major candidates are equally flawed. That is both illogical and inaccurate.”

The letter hammered home this idea: “If, as some say, the government is broken, a protest vote will not fix it.”

Among its currently 100 signatories (and growing), the letter counts representatives from the original Star Trek series, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: Voyager, Star Trek: Enterprise, as well as the entire crew of the rebooted Star Trek film franchise (with the exception of Anton Yelchin, who was killed in a car accident earlier this year). Additionally, several relatives of deceased Star Trek notables endorsed the letter, including Leonard Nimoy’s widow Susan and son Adam, James Doohan’s son Chris, and series creator Gene Roddenberry’s son Eugene.

Though not officially endorsed by the franchise, CBS Studios, or Paramount Pictures, many fans expressed their delight — and dissatisfaction — with the letter in the comments thread. One commentator lamented the group’s “capitalizing on a fictional theme to bash political candidates.” That person was roundly rebuked by others. “Star Trek was never neutral,” said one commenter. Another observed, “Star Trek is and always has been unapologetically liberal in its worldview. If Trump were transported in the the universe of Star Trek he'd be a Ferengi,” referring to the hyper-materialistic alien race from the franchise.

As someone who has his own deep connection to the Star Trek franchise, it's heartwarming to see the people who make it willing to help defeat Trump and help Hillary Clinton go where no woman has gone before.