master_q 0 Posted April 27, 2003 Despite son's support, 'Trek' bill likely to fail Gary Scharrer El Paso Times Gary Scharrer -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Eugene Roddenberry wrote Texas legislators a few days ago, encouraging them to name the portion of I-10 running through El Paso for his father, the creator of "Star Trek" and an El Paso native. But it appears the effort will fall short this session without a consensus for doing so in El Paso. HB 949 by Rep. Pat Haggerty, R-El Paso, is likely to stall in the House Border and International Affairs Committee. "Our objective is simply to offer a name that has for nearly 40 years symbolized an optimistic view of the future and more specifically one that has embodied the unconditional acceptance of diversity," Roddenberry told lawmakers. " 'Star Trek' not only encourages those who watch to accept to embrace difference in humanity. It has stirred optimism and toppled notions of prejudice in millions all over the world." El Paso's symbiotic relationship with Juárez should make diversity "very observable to the residents of El Paso," Roddenberry said. "The ability for individuals of unique faiths to work collectively for a common goal is extraordinary. El Paso and its residents clearly exemplify the fundamental idea of 'Star Trek,' " Roddenberry wrote. Folks from around the country and world supported the idea of naming I-10 the "Gene Roddenberry Memorial Highway." But some El Pasoans raised questions after a hearing before Rep. Norma Chávez's committee. Some wondered what Roddenberry, whose family moved to Los Angeles when he was a young child, had done for El Paso. "It makes more sense for the community to take the time to discuss the issue and allow the proposal to have as much consensus as possible," Chávez, D-El Paso, says. "Nothing will be 100 percent." Roddenberry, who died a decade ago, stood for the very diversity that El Paso reflects, Chávez says: "I don't think that El Paso does enough to capture and promote the diversity. We don't really have an identity." El Pasoan Terri Donawell says she's disappointed that the effort to name El Paso's most traveled highway for Roddenberry will probably fail this session. "But such is the nature of the legislative beast, and I knew that going in," says Donawell, who created a Web site to boost the effort: www.grmhpetition.org She wants El Paso's elected officials to keep the issue on the front burner "so that the citizens of El Paso will have a chance to become more educated on why this would be a great thing for El Paso." Sen. Eliot Shapleigh, D-El Paso, calls himself a "Star Trek" fan but would not have pushed Haggerty's plan in the Senate without resolutions by the El Paso City Council and County Commissioners Court. "The great thing about Haggerty's bill is that it causes us to debate our identity," Shapleigh says. "Who are we, how do we see ourselves, how do we want others to see us?" -- http://www.borderlandnews.com/stories/bord...27-106215.shtml What do you think about this? To give your input on this article go to Trek News or click here Master Q StarTrek_Master_Q@yahoo.com Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
