Another Reason To Love Ds9 - Blog Posts

Rom has an honest-to-goodness stutter. He stammers and sometimes has trouble expressing himself.

Before Deep Space 9, I had never seen that on any screen without it being a joke. Or a couple times as a character that appeared for less than 2 minutes.

HOWEVER, on DS9, not only does Rom have a decent-sized part, but:

- he's portrayed as a loving and supportive father, son, brother, and husband

- he LEADS his co-workers in forming a union

- he leaves a toxic workplace for an equally menial but safer job, and does it with dignity, and then earns promotions

- he invents new technology, and comes up with it almost as a side thought while planning his wedding, showing the genius that he's usually not recognized for

- and ultimately, he's chosen as the next ruler of an entire planet

I still don't see anything equivalent to that now, in the 2020s. And DS9 was made thirty years ago.

If movie and television producers are so keen on reviving things from the past for the sake of nostalgia, how about looking at Star Trek for ideas on not only increasing diversity and inclusion, but normalizing and celebrating them?