Did she make the right decision...

Discussion in 'Star Trek: Voyager' started by 2 of 10, Oct 22, 2008.

  1. 2 of 10

    2 of 10 Captain Captain

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    Just watched "Deathwish" about the "Q" who wants to commit suicide, she evntually rules in his favor. I am not sure she came to the right decision, what about you...
     
  2. kimc

    kimc Coffee Mod Admiral

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    This one is a toughie. Given that the only other alternative was to condemn him to eternity in that asteroid again I'm not sure what else there was for her to do.

    The decision I found questionnable was Q's decision to give Quinn the poison so he could take his own life.
     
  3. Jeri

    Jeri Vice Admiral Admiral

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    The imprisonment alternative could always be reversed; it was up to the Q -- and their responsibility. As is sometimes said: death is a permanent solution to a temporary problem.
     
  4. Miss Chicken

    Miss Chicken Little three legged cat with attitude Admiral

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    I think that if I was immortal I time would come when I was just so tired of life that I would want to end it all. I think Q had a right to death.
     
  5. kimc

    kimc Coffee Mod Admiral

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    Unfortunately once Quinn requested asylum his fate became Janeway's problem.
     
  6. Akiraprise

    Akiraprise To Ꝏ & BEYOND! Moderator

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    It would have been funny if Kathy said "Ooh, not touching this with a 10 LY pole."
    [​IMG]
     
  7. SoM

    SoM Captain Captain

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    Actually, that's a question - was she OBLIGED to hear the case? Can any non-Fed citizen (I think especially of Klingons and Romulans, since the Empires tend to have touchy relations with the UFP at any given moment and granting asylum might be seen as a red flag in galactipolitics) wander up to a starship, claim asylum, and expect to have their case heard in full at any time?
     
  8. kimc

    kimc Coffee Mod Admiral

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    The tradition of political asylum is an ancient one and whoe knows what form of it was in place during Voyager's time. The gist I got from watching the show was that once Quinn put in the request to Janeway she was obligated to hear him out. She mentioned a set of specific procedures and told Q she expected him to respect them.
     
  9. Jeri

    Jeri Vice Admiral Admiral

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    I understand; an asylum request didn't preclude choosing to return him to prison. That was part of the drama.
     
  10. superstring01

    superstring01 Commander Red Shirt

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    Yes. I believe that people have the right to kill themselves, no matter how "special" they are.

    ~String
     
  11. Triskelion

    Triskelion Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    But what kind of world is it that stands by and respects that "right", rather than offering love, support and aid where it is obviously needed? Suicide is a cry for help - and is no more a lifelong solution than buying this year's car model.
     
  12. Miss Chicken

    Miss Chicken Little three legged cat with attitude Admiral

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    I think that is true for a being with a limited lifetime who konly has a few decades of life, or even a few hundred years of life. However I think it would be different for an immortal who faces the prospect of living forever. When life has long since ceased to be a joy what do they have to look forward to?
     
  13. Lynx

    Lynx Vice Admiral Admiral

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    I guess that's what I would have done. It was a very tricky thing in which she would end up wrong whatever she decided to do.
     
  14. kimc

    kimc Coffee Mod Admiral

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    An excellent point. :)
     
  15. exodus

    exodus Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    Deep down I never liked the message this ep. sends out.

    Q wants to die because he's................bored?
    I don't care if he's a Q or not, since when was bordom an excuse to kill oneself?
    Bordom is not a disease, not even for a Q.
    That's a terrible message to imply.

    I'll never understand why they used Q to bring up the topic of Euthanasia when the Vidiian's were perfect for the subject.
     
  16. doubleohfive

    doubleohfive Fleet Admiral

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    I never got that message from this episode. The episode always said to me, "does an individual have the right to end their own life?"

    Sure, its a flimsy reason to push the story along, but it works in the context of the character of Q and of the Q Continuum and what we know about them.

    I personally would have loved to see that. Maybe throw Denara Pel in to the mix. Have the Doc fight furiously against Janeway to try to save her and let Janeway do her best to be impartial. It woudln't have seemed so difficult to relate to either.
     
  17. Mr. Laser Beam

    Mr. Laser Beam Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    I don't think we can judge that, without knowing what a bored Q might be feeling. Boredom as humans experience it, would surely be chump-change compared to what a bored *Q* might be feeling. I mean, when we feel bored, how long have we been dealing with that? Hours? Days? Months? Just imagine how it must feel to be dragging that around for millions of years.
     
  18. exodus

    exodus Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    On the same note, wouldn't a million years to a Q be equal to a week?

    If anything, history for us is always changing. Everyday holds something new. The fact Alpha Quaderant ship made it to the Delta Quad. is new. If that small thing makes a difference then there are tons of things in the galaxy that are ever changing. What's to be bored about?

    Q could have shown & taught Voyager all about the galaxy, seeing the universe through different eyes would have made all that old to him new again.
     
  19. doubleohfive

    doubleohfive Fleet Admiral

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    Vicariously though. Which goes against the entire case Q2 was making for himself and his reason for wanting to die.

    And, as we saw, even our Q was impressed with this guy's balls.
     
  20. exodus

    exodus Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    I'm afraid I just don't subcribe or identify with the idea of commiting suicide due to life becoming tedious. It doesn't sit well with me as being a good enough reason. I think that's why using the Vidiians would have been closer to the issue of euthanasia IMO rather than the Q.

    Due to that, this ep. never sat right with me ethically.