Blog #15: The Measure of a Man

Star Trek: The Measure of a Man was a very interesting episode to watch. In the story, Data becomes endangered because of his complex structure and indevidualism as a robot. Those who know him consider him to be their friend. Those who don't see him as a mere object that can be used for further experimentation. Through many different trials between crew members and scientists, they come to the conclusion that he is indevidual. They realize that he has memorys, emotion, and a sense of self image and well being. Data is a big part of the Frankenstein Complex not out of fear, but out of persecution against him because of his differences.
We have seen this before in history. During the holocaust, Jews were seen as objects for use and study and labor. They were not seen as indeviduals, and they were persecuted against and eliminated. I thought that it was interesting when they brought up slavery in the story, because it relates to the time in our own history when African Amereicans were persecuted against for their differences. Though that part was unusual to the point where it was almost irrelevant to the story, it made the story that much better because of how it made me contemplate the world we live in.