Abstract
I. The Omega Glory In Episode No. 54 of the original Star Trek TV series, entitled "The Omega Glory," we find a stunning and prophetic parable about constitutional interpretation. Well, all right, maybe the producers didn't quite intend the episode as making a point about constitutional interpretation. But as a "trekkie" and a law professor, I can find stunning and prophetic constitutional insights in Star Trek reruns if I want to. For those cultural illiterates not familiar with the most important literary form of the past thirty years, Star Trek chronicles the voyages of the Starship Enterprise of the United Federation of Planets, a coalition of humanoid life forms who have united for mutual defense and the peaceful exploration of the galaxy, carefully observing the Prime Directive of the Federation not to interfere with the normal development of the other humanoid cultures they encounter. 1 The U.S.S. Enterprise is commanded (in the original series) by James T. Kirk, the young swashbuckling Captain portrayed by William Shatner (before he became old and fat and started doing margarine commercials). For those who might not recall the details of episode No. 54, 2 our heroes, Captain Kirk, his half-human, half-Vulcan first officer, Mr. Spock, and the ship's surgeon, Dr. Leonard McCoy (generally useless friend of Jim's) have beamed down to planet Omega IV to find Captain Ronald Tracey, apparently the last survivor of the starship U.S.S. Exeter, which has been found abandoned in orbit. It seems that the entire crew of the ...