Hello everyone!

I was reading a blog titled Star Trek Convention by daniel0605 (it's really short - go read it! This one'll make more sense!) I was, frankly, appalled by some of the comments posted! Some people blatantly said that Star Trek was (this is not a quote, mind you) stupid and pointless. Being a ST fan as well as a SW fan, I was none too happy with what some people had to say!

So this got me to thinking... are ST and SW really that different? Yes, some of you would say in a heartbeat. But if you actually know both - understand and like them - then you might have a different idea. I have many friends who are big Star Wars fans (none as big as me, nor any who have a blog), and others who are big Star Trek fans (and sadly, I have to admit that some of them are probably bigger Trek fans than me..). So I was talking to them, and they all had pretty much the same ideas as me - that neither was bad, per se, and they don't see why others can't seem to accept both.

Here's a list of some similarities and some differences between ST and SW. I know that I'm not going to convert anyone here, but I just want people to think about it, to see if you can understand the unwillingness of so many fans to try to accept something...
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Similarities

1. Most obviously, both Star Trek and Star Wars are set mostly in space with ships that can travel at incredibly fast speeds. SW has Hyperdrives, ST has (trans)warp engines.

2. Both galaxies have a united government. In ST, the United Federation of Planets (or just the Federation) unites almost all of the Alpha Quadrant (the quarter of the galaxy that Earth is located in). In SW, the Republic or the New Republic unite almost the entire galaxy (except for some small regions near the outskirts of the galaxy - as in the Tingel Arm - or the remnants of the Empire). This is a very important similarity between these two sagas, I think, because it shows that people can live in peace together, no matter what their differences.

3. There are groups of people in both sagas that think (in some cases rightfully so) they are superiour to everyone else. In SW, these groups are the Jedi or the Sith. Even though the Jedi don't outright say that they are better than 'normal beings', I think they do think this way. (Wow, I hope I don't get too much heat for that). And I think the Sith are handsdown the most arrogant, overconfident bunch one would ever meet. In ST, the Vulcan race (for those who don't know, they're the ones with the pointy ears - Mr. Spock, Sarek and Tuvok for example) looks down, essentially, on other races. They are not evil or sinical, but they think their race is the most mentally, socially, and telepathically evolved.

4. Both sagas have groups with super-human powers. I'm not even going to say who these people are in SW - if you don't know, you're in serious trouble. In ST, the Vulcans, Betazoids, Wormhole Aliens, Ocampa, and Species 8472 all have some sort of (mainly telepathic) ability.

5. Humans are the main characters in both saga, whether they be from Earth or from any number of planets in the GFFA (Naboo, Alderaan, Tatooine, Corellia, Coruscant, etc.).

6. Both ST and SW have movies, TV shows, comic strips, fan clubs, multiple websites, books, games (whether they be board games, video games or something else) and much more...

7. Both sagas have an incredibly large fan-base of amazingly dedicated fans who love them with all their hearts. This is self-explanatory - all of you will understand this perfectly.
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Differences

1. Star Wars has much more religious undertones than Star Trek ("You, my friend are all that's left of their religion.'' - Tarkin to Vader). The Jedi are viewed by non-Jedi as crazy wizards who can do strange things with their minds. This view was intensified after the Jedi Purge in ep.III, when Palpatine spread lies to the Republic about their evilness and deceitfullness. Star Trek really doesn't have these religious ideas in it.

2. Star Trek focuses on peaceful exploration of the galaxy, while the SW characters already have explored almost all of their galaxy, and work on uniting it in peace.

3. Star Wars takes place A Long Time Ago, in a Galaxy Far, Far Away, while Star Trek takes place centuries from the present day, in our same galaxy.
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As you can see, Star Wars and Star Trek really aren't all that different. If you really take the time to think about it, both sagas have the same core meanings and messages. I just don't see why some people think that if you like one, you can't like the other. I know for a fact that many of us here enjoy both Wars and Trek, and that we would openly admit it - without shame - to anyone.

Maybe you''ll read this and say, "what a weird kid... he doesn't know what he's talking about". Or maybe you'll see what I'm saying and agree with me. Either way, I'm open to your comments - in fact, I'd like to hear what you have to say... let's just keep it civil. Don't get angry. Please.

Have a great long weekend, and May the Force be with You!
(Live Long and Prosper too)