Uniform Code Not So Uniform

[Bry_Sinclair]

Something struck me on my first rewatch of Lower Decks.

Mariner is thrown in the brig for having her sleeves rolled, yet O'Brien did this for seven years and was never once reprimanded for it. Then there is Worf and his baldric, he wears it proudly and no one ever stops him, yet Ro and Gerron are both ordered to remove their earrings, yet Shaxs wears his again without any issue.

Is this more the discretion of the CO and what they'll allow, or is it all purely for the drama!?

 

[Tim Thomason]

Well, it's all for the drama, but in-universe, of course, it seems to be purely at the discretion of the CO. I have a feeling that if O'Brien had his sleeves rolled up in front of Jellico, he would've been chewed out (not that TNG O'Brien ever rolled up his sleeves anyway).

Riker may have been unaware of the Bajoran cultural importance on earrings at the time with Ro (although I fail to see an explanation for Tuvok and Gerron, given the prevalence of other Bajoran Starfleeters with earrings even excluding Shaxs). Worf's baldric and Shax's earring might be something you have to apply for, a dispensation of the rules for cultural aesthetic. Ro and Gerron never applied for such a dispensation, and were called out on it.

Mariner is likely breaking the uniform code by consistently keeping her sleeves rolled up even in situations where it's uncalled for, and even refusing to follow Ransom's direct order to keep them rolled down.

 

[The Wormhole]

Mariner being penalized for rolling her sleeves up is just a joke and probably shouldn't be analyzed too heavily. Though if you want to treat it seriously, Ransom himself isn't exactly the most professional of officers and was likely just being vindictive with Mariner, while Mariner herself had no choice but to accept it since the only other officers she could appeal to are her mother, the ship's captain who would likely take Ransom's side, and her father, and admiral who would likely just sit back and say "it's your mom's ship, I'm not interfering with how she runs things." The crew of the Cerritos really are an unprofessional bunch.

Yes, Ro's earring being against the uniform code is odd, given Worf's baldric is allowed, Deanna spent five and a half years wearing civvies on duty, and O'Brien wore the wrong rank insignia. The popular explanation was that she wasn't allowed to wear her earring as punishment for her court-martial, but that doesn't stand up. That would be like Hindu or Muslim serving in a Western military or other uniform service being told they wouldn't be allowed to wear their turban as punishment for their court-martial/reprimand. Which I guarantee that kind of punishment would not be permitted today, so it should be completely unheard of in 24th century Starfleet.

Gerron was an even odder case given other Bajorans serving on Voyager, including other Maquis Bajorans were allowed to wear their earring. But then part of the point there was that Tuvok was being an unreasonable disciplinarian.

 

[Shawnster]

On the case of Shax I took it as growth /policy change within Starfleet. The earring was finally deemed acceptable after years of fighting for change.

 

[Timo]

Or then the change is in the other direction, and the occasional whipping is no longer considered categorically bad when it's for good reasons and produces results.

Starfleet appears to be a bastion of barbaric practices in every context: in TOS, say, it insists on jailings and death penalties and even summary executions (the one Janice Lester tried to execute just didn't meet some unknown criteria for the procedure) while the civilian world has moved beyond punishment and merely gives mass murderers therapy that works just fine. We also really have no reason to think it would have "moved forward" when the world of Star Trek factually moves backward, proceeding from the 2000s to the 1960s as time goes on, then from the 2020s towards the 1980s... Ro's religious sensibilities might well have to take a back seat there, nobody rushing to her defense or even being particularly offended at her treatment.

Indeed, people from a world "progressing" like Trek's does might go "Religious customs? Driving drunk used to be a defense, too"...

Timo Saloniemi

 

[fireproof78]

Is this more the discretion of the CO and what they'll allow, or is it all purely for the drama!?

I mean, it's both. But, yes, given what we saw with Jellico and Picard and their difference of style it would appear that it is at the discretion of the CO as to what is appropriate uniform of the day.

 

[Timo]

And Starfleet provides - there are uniform variants to choose from, so that Picard and Janeway can go strict in their own personal ways. Or laid back, for that matter. So it's really built in, even if certain spinoffs do show such a narrow range of options that we might think otherwise.

Timo Saloniemi

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

there is Worf and his baldric, he wears it proudly and no one ever stops him, yet Ro and Gerron are both ordered to remove their earrings

That's probably up to the commanding officer's individual preference.

With Ro, she was obviously being obnoxious and rude from the get-go, so Riker decided to impose extra strict discipline. To make sure Ro knew her place, as it were. As for Gerron, he was Maquis, wasn't he? Same story there.

Worf, OTOH, was never out of line and always acted as a pro. So they decided to let him wear the baldric, because he earned the right.

 

[Nerys Myk]

Riker was just being a jerk to Ro because he didn't like her history. Ro gets to wear the earring later.

 

[The Wormhole]

With Ro, she was obviously being obnoxious and rude from the get-go, so Riker decided to impose extra strict discipline.

All she did was introduce herself and Riker immediately snapped at her about the earring. What exactly is obnoxious or rude about saying "Ensign Ro Laren reporting as ordered, Commander"?

As for Gerron, he was Maquis, wasn't he? Same story there.

Wasn't a problem for the other Bajoran Maquis serving on Voyager.

Worf, OTOH, was never out of line and always acted as a pro. So they decided to let him wear the baldric, because he earned the right.

One does not "earn the right" to wear a cultural adornment. Can you imagine if a Hindu or Muslim were told they had to "earn the right" to wear their turban? Or what is a Hindu were allowed to wear a turban and a Muslim not? Or the reverse? I guarantee you that would not be tolerated, at all, regardless if the individuals in question had a "bad attitude" or not.

 

[XCV330]

If every culture and religion gets to wear their trappings as part of the fleet, it's going to be silly. Worf's baldric never made sense.

"I am a Abeian. We worship both the memory of America's 16th president and the visage of Giant Space Lincoln. I must be allowed to wear my stovepipe hat, on the bridge, and in engineering. Forescore and seven minutes ago, my superior officer told me to take it off. I am filing a diversity office complaint."

"As a follower of Apollo of Pollux IV I need to wear a gold single shoulder micro mini to impress the mortal laydeees"

"Notice to all officers: do not attempt to remove Tommy Guns from crew members hailing from Sigma Iota. These are cultural relics and are considered sacred. Also, they contain live ammunition."

 

[The Wormhole]

"I am a Abeian. We worship both the memory of America's 16th president and the visage of Giant Space Lincoln. I must be allowed to wear my stovepipe hat, on the bridge, and in engineering. Forescore and seven minutes ago, my superior officer told me to take it off. I am filing a diversity office complaint."

Now I know what Star Trek has been missing all these years, a culture that worships Abraham Lincoln. I assume in addition to everyone wearing stovepipe hats, all the men also have moustache-less beards?

 

[XCV330]

Now I know what Star Trek has been missing all these years, a culture that worships Abraham Lincoln. I assume in addition to everyone wearing stovepipe hats, all the men also have moustache-less beards?

I think we have the makings of a new religion. May we meet in Ford's Theater

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

All she did was introduce herself and Riker immediately snapped at her about the earring. What exactly is obnoxious or rude about saying "Ensign Ro Laren reporting as ordered, Commander"?

Listen to her tone when she explains Bajoran naming customs. "I am properly addressed as Ensign Ro". You just don't talk to a superior officer like that. Ro was arrogant to the extreme, from the first time she opened her mouth. She needed to be taken down a peg.

Plus the fact that she'd disobeyed orders and gotten eight people killed, did not exactly help matters.

Now of course Riker probably had a fair bit of baggage going into that little scene. He surely knew all about Ro's record of insubordination. So that probably prejudiced him as well. He was as inclined to be rude to Ro as the reverse. But it doesn't change the fact that, since he is Ro's superior officer, he has the right to be extra strict on the uniform code if he feels like it.

Riker may have been rude and unreasonable to Ro, just like she was to him...but HE GETS TO DO THAT. She doesn't. It's all about rank. He has it, she doesn't. That's the bottom line.

One does not "earn the right" to wear a cultural adornment.

If their CO says so, they damn well better do exactly that.

As for present day Muslim, Hindu, Sikh, etc. crewmembers...I honestly don't know the rules on that. If anyone has any info on this, I'd be welcome to hear it.

 

[The Wormhole]

Lsten to her tone when she explains Bajoran naming customs. "I am properly addressed as Ensign Ro". You just don't talk to a superior officer like that.

1) That was after he snapped at her over the earring, so how does that justify him doing so.
2) That line was addressed to Picard, and he, quite rightfully, apologized to her for it, having been unfamiliar with Bajoran naming traditions. You don't screw up name customs any more than you address a person by the wrong title (Mr, Miss, Mrs, so on) or the wrong gender pronoun. That's not acceptable at all.

If their CO says so, they damn well better do exactly that.

You do realize there have been incidents where superiors, both in a military and civilian setting have gotten in trouble even lost their jobs/positions for trying to tell people not to wear cultural adornments on the job, right? Cultural adornments are a right, not a privelege.

 

[BK613]

PICARD: Mister Worf, the Enterprise crew currently includes representatives from thirteen planets. They each have their individual beliefs and values and I respect them all. But they have all chosen to serve Starfleet. If anyone cannot perform his or her duty because of the demands of their society, they should resign. Do you wish to resign?​

I would assume performing their duty would include follow the proscribed uniform regulations.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

1) That was after he snapped at her over the earring, so how does that justify him doing so.

He doesn't have to justify anything. Riker is Ro's superior officer, so that pretty much ends the discussion right there.

 

[Xenon_Ytterbium]

He doesn't have to justify anything. Riker is Ro's superior officer, so that pretty much ends the discussion right there.

Maybe it's my lack of military background, but I just don't see how rank alone gives someone the right to treat another person (or their culture) with disrespect.

 

[The Wormhole]

He doesn't have to justify anything. Riker is Ro's superior officer, so that pretty much ends the discussion right there.

'Kay. But that isn't what was being asked. You said Riker wouldn't allow Ro to wear her earring because of her terrible attitude, and you cited her response to Picard screwing her name up as proof of her poor attitude. But, at the time when Riker snapped at her about the earring, she didn't have an opportunity to display any attitude, or correct anyone about her name. She literally just beamed aboard and introduced herself, and Riker was already shouting at her about strict uniform code.

So, I ask you again, what is so rude and obnoxious about saying "Ensign Ro Laren reporting as ordered, Commander"?

 

[The Wormhole]

Maybe it's my lack of military background, but I just don't see how rank alone gives someone the right to treat another person (or their culture) with disrespect.

Well, it is true one need not be nice to someone they outrank, but you're right, they're not allowed to disrespect the culture or religion of one under their command.