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From: john@moncol.UUCP (John Ruschmeyer)
Newsgroups: net.startrek,net.sf-lovers
Subject: Re: "His was the most human"
Message-ID: <168@moncol.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 7-Feb-86 01:10:45 EST
Article-I.D.: moncol.168
Posted: Fri Feb  7 01:10:45 1986
Date-Received: Sun, 9-Feb-86 06:39:16 EST
References: <1623@mtgzz.UUCP> <2669@colossus.fluke.UUCP>
Reply-To: john@moncol.UUCP (John Ruschmeyer)
Organization: Monmouth College, W. Long Branch, NJ
Lines: 45
Xref: watmath net.startrek:4715 net.sf-lovers:12284

In article <2669@colossus.fluke.UUCP> moriarty@fluke.UUCP (The Napoleon of Crime) writes:
>								    ....As to
>whether Kirk is making a racial slur by saying he was "the most... human", I
>guess it depends on 1) the way he said (is human a compliment) and 2) who
>the audience of the film was.  1) is almost certainly a compliment to
>humans, and as for 2), I didn't see any Vulcans hanging around the aisles in
>my local theatre, popping licorice Juji-fruits and mind-melding with the
>cute blond at the concession stand.
>
>Really.  Anyone who likes Star Trek and feels the characters are well
>developed will realize what Kirk was trying to say.  I found it quite
>touching, myself, emotional sap that I am.

I have to agree with you on the first point- that Kirk meant it as a
compliment.

As for the second point... The quality of being human is definately one of
the major themes in STII. Recall Saavik's impression of Kirk's arrival on the
Enterprise:

	"He's so... human."

And Spock's reply:

	"Nobody's perfect, Saavik."


Also, take a good close look at the eulogy scene. When Kirk utters his
"most human" line, Saavik appears to wince. For her, this was obviously not
the highest praise for Spock.

Perhaps the real question is that of being human vs humanity. To Kirk,
Spock embodied a great measure of humanity and it was this that he was
praising. To Saavik and to Vulcans in general, being human is something else-
it implies illogic, emotionality, etc. No wonder Kirk's sentiment is so
controversial.

-- 
Name:		John Ruschmeyer
US Mail:	Monmouth College, W. Long Branch, NJ 07764
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