Poll of the Week: Mi Casa Es Su Casa

[Randal Shayne]

No one can deny that Starfleet’s mission is incredibly dangerous. While it might be fulfilling, exploring uncharted systems and defending the Federation against her countless enemies is a risky business any way you cut it. As a result, Starfleet personnel are trained in rigorous fashion, spending years mastering the skills necessary to hack it in the brutal expanse of deep space.

The stress of this burden is considerable. On top of this, many career officers have families, and it was eventually accepted that prolonged separation from loved ones had a generally negative effect on moral and performance, especially among humans. In order to combat this mental hardship, counselors have been assigned to most starships. However, this alone has not been deemed sufficient. Onboard most ships, officers’ families- generally civilian- are permitted to live permanently, after the officer has served for six months or more on that vessel.

While living with one’s family has undeniably positive benefits, the dangers to their welfare are terrifying to consider. At any moment, the ship could fall under attack, or be exposed to a deadly plague, or find itself in the wake of a supernova, or fall prey to any one of a billion disastrous outcomes possible. This becomes especially troubling when one remembers that children are among those in harm’s way.

How do you stand on Starfleet’s familial policies? Do you feel allowing civilians aboard ships does more good than harm? Or are you against such precidence? Perhaps you’re more moderate on this issue? Give us your vote, and let us know in the comments section below!