Dear Mr. Spotnitz,

It probably goes without saying, but I just wanted to thank you very much for posting that message last week (“Seal Hunt in Context,” Aug. 25); most celebrities get all uncomfortable discussing politics, even if their shows are political, which I was a bit dismayed to find out upon going to my first Sci Fi convention this weekend. Avery Brooks has been very political in the kinds of episodes he’s wanted to direct on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, but seemed to prefer to keep things in generalities when I asked him about a response to my listing of political themes of the show (the complex nature of terrorism, a complex notion of a conception of “the other,” the idea of identity politics tugging at characters who identify with warring factions, and a complex understanding that our leaders are imperfect and likely to commit immoral actions in desperate circumstances and that the public has to be wary of this fact. He simply wanted to acknowledge the importance of political issues and of DS9’s debt and that my seeing these issues in the show was enough; most of the fans just got upset and quite frankly asked fairly cliched questions. When I talked to Mr. Brooks afterward, he said he was fine with what I was saying, and understood from where I was coming.

I was more disappointed with Canadian actor Aaron Douglas, when I asked him about the duty of the artist or writer to draw connections among fans between the issues Battlestar Galactica discusses very clearly and what our governments are doing. He was very nice in person, but I was a bit disappointed in his view that he doesn’t feel that artists shouldn’t express an opinion because this somehow means that that opinion is of greater value than anyone else’s. I realize he has the right to not enter political discourse, but I somehow don’t buy the idea that one shouldn’t use one’s celebrity for good or that even to talk about anything with conviction is somehow oppressive; after all, he had no trouble getting fans to help resolve the writer’s strike by buying pencils, and I think that was a good thing. Someone in the audience shouted “It’s science fiction,” as though it meant we aren’t supposed to think about the issues of the show in our real lives. I realize that, on one level, I’ve been blessed with a quality education and a very political and thoughtful family that allows me to think about such issues, but, even among educated folks, it’s almost seen as gauche to take things seriously. It’s not as though I was insisting the entire 45 minutes be dedicated to discussion of political issues or even that people agree with me, but at least we can have an honest dialogue. I guess, in the end, he simply answered my question, which is all he owed me, so I shouldn’t be too disappointed, even if I disagreed with him.

This is all to say that I have even greater appreciation than I already did for your willingness to post what many would simply label “controversial” as an excuse to ignore it (as, say, they would on CNN) pursue more popular matters. For this, you have my deepest thanks.

Iqbal

Toronto, Canada