I wrote this before I left Kitimat for my wedding in New Westminster to help support the upcoming Terry Fox run, unfortunately the run was cancelled due to lack of interest.
Oh well.
The next Terry Fox Run is scheduled for September 16, 2012.
I love science fiction.
And the term is "trekker", not "trekkie".
One of the things I love about science fiction is the opportunity for the investigation of the human condition in very specific, narrowly defined ways.
A recurring theme in science fiction is the seemingly incongruous and inexplicable contrasts of humanity in general and some humans in particular.
This is usually noted when an alien of some sort notices that humanity is capable of great art, selflessness and horrifying atrocity.
Normally the alien is determining some sort of judgement against humanity during which a dashing star ship captain makes an impassioned plea to just let us have one more chance, pointing out in his (usually "his") conclusion that if the aliens did choose to destroy humanity at this point wouldn't that be a somewhat hypocritical thing for an enlightened alien to do to another species.
Leonardo da Vinci is a noted non-fictional example of this, though often not brought up by judgmental aliens.
Besides being an artist, scientist and philosopher, Da Vinci was also a peace-loving vegetarian who engineered weapons of war.
He was not a member of the Priory of Sion.
Terry Fox is also an example of humanity's contrasts.
Fox, who succumbed to cancer in 1981, could be understood as a victim of cancer.
A cancer victim of extraordinary accomplishment, but a victim nonetheless.
Contrastingly, Fox may also be understood to have never been victimized by cancer at all.
Fox may have lost a personal battle with cancer, but he never gave up.
If Fox contracted the same cancer today which took his leg and ultimately his life, he would not have suffered an amputation, and would have seen, at the least, his twenty-second birthday.
The thirtieth anniversary of Fox’s Marathon of Hope is this Sunday at Riverlodge.
If you can find a way to participate, please do lives depend on it.
The war is far from over, and it looks like we may be winning.
And when this war is won, this will be an example of humanity winning a war in the best way possible.
Related Links
Terry Fox Run
[Terry Fox Foundation]
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