My issue is that Sisko took Worf's act as a personal offense. When Sisko himself is a religious figure and spiritual man himself. Its wasn't a violation of starfleet protocol that caused Sisko to judge Worf. t was the act was viewed as premeditated murder in his eyes. Like I said had Sisko walked the Picard line and remained unbiased in his reprimand I could except it but he didn't.
Your statement makes no sense. What evidence do you have that Sisko took Worf's actions personally? He was angry with Worf because what he did, but eventually allowed both Worf and his brother to assist in disabling the Klingon minefield. It seems to me that he was able to put any misgivings about Worf aside in order to what was best for his crew. If you believe that his anger in and of itself is evidence of his taking it personally, let me ask you this: if an officer under your command suddenly took an action that could have negative repercussions for both himself and for the remainder of your crew, would you not be upset about it?
Sisko may have crossed the line by
yelling at Worf, but he was hardly the only person to react that way. Odo did the same, and he was also prepared to file murder charges if Kurn didn't survive his stab wound. Why? Because Worf broke the law. His personal feelings had nothing to do with his responsibilities as chief of security, just as Sisko's feelings had nothing to do with his responsibilities as the commander of the station.
Even if one ignores the issue of Starfleet regulations (as you believe I should do because of Sisko's statements), one cannot ignore the following reality: there
are limits to how far one can go to accommodate another person's culture and beliefs- which is precisely what Sisko says to Worf- even in the twenty fourth century. What do you think would happen in today's society if someone killed another person in the name of his or her religion? Would such behavior be tolerated? I doubt it. Why does it surprise you that someone living in the twenty fourth century would adopt a similar stance?
Even the
Star Trek universe must employ standards governing behavior, or anyone could use the "it's the belief of my species" excuse to justify any action. Do you have any idea the repercussions of allowing such behavior to go unchecked? That's why Sisko was so upset with Worf, not because he took Worf's actions personally. Sisko realized- as you apparently do not- that even as one seeks to understand and embrace other cultures, there are limits to how far one can reasonably be expected to do so. Greater diversity entails greater flexibility in dealing with other races and cultures, because a degree of tolerance is necessary in order to ensure cooperation with other species. That does not mean, however, that one must tolerate
every aspect of another culture.
Allowing Worf to do as he pleased- even to resolve a family matter- risked opening a Pandora's box. If Sisko made exceptions for Worf, he would have had to make similar allowances for other crew members, allowances that would have eventually interfered with his crew's ability to do its job. It's not a matter of Starfleet regulations. It's a matter of common sense.
Sisko addresses the subject of limits not as an excuse, but as a statement of fact. There are limits that determine how far one can go, even when dealing with a species as complex as the Klingons. To imply that the Klingons are free to do as they please simply because they are Klingons is as irresponsible and short-sighted as refusing to grant the Klingons any latitude at all.
Sisko's status as a religious figure has nothing to do with situation. It was not Sisko's choice to become the Emissary of the Prophets. He was, however, willing to serve in that role because he believed that doing so would help to strengthen the relationship between Bajor and the Federation, something that was absolutely necessary if Bajor was to join the Federation- Sisko's primary mission as commander of
Deep Space 9.
Consider another aspect of the situation that seems to have alluded you: at the time of "Sons of Mogh," Sisko had known Worf for only a few months. Picard had known Worf for more than three years at the time of "Reunion." As he was much more familiar with Worf's character, it's not surprising that his reaction to Worf's behavior differed from that of Sisko, who did not know him as well.
AllStarEntprise said:
His decision seems to be purely because his views on life and death are different from another persons culture. While Picard empathetic to the nature and gave Worf the option to resign. Riker was equally understanding and even willing to carry out the same ritual for Worf back I'm TNG. While Riker serving onboard a Klingon ship and learning how Klingons view those who live when they should die gave Riker an enhanced perception in to the mind of a different culture.
I will repeat what I said before: get your facts straight. Worf did
not ask Riker to perform the same type of ritual. Kurn's assisted suicide (the Mauk-to'Vor) was arranged as a means to allow Kurn to die with honor because his family had been disgraced. Worf's ritual (the Hegh'bat) was intended to allow him to die honorably rather than living the remainder of his life dependent on other people or on medical technology in order to properly care for himself.
Riker was
not willing to participate in an assisted suicide ritual for Worf. He was extremely troubled by the idea, and sought the advice of Picard because he was having so much difficulty with the situation. He made his feelings clear when he later confronted Worf about the issue. He said, "I hate everything about it... the casual disregard for life... it tries to cloak suicide in some glorious notion of honor. I may have to respect your beliefs... but I don't have to like them."
Additionally, Sisko did give Worf the opportunity explain himself, albeit in a somewhat brusque manner: "I want you tell me why I shouldn't put you on the next transport out of here." It's not as though he was unwilling to hear Worf out, and as I've already pointed out to you, he did give Worf an opportunity to redeem himself later in the episode, an action that clearly illustrates a degree of empathy with Worf's plight as well as a willingness to put his own feelings aside in order to accomplish a mission, which is exactly what a competent leader is expected to do. Sisko was not a hypocrite for putting his crew first, nor was he wrong to take Worf to task for his behavior.
