If I had only one wish this Christmas, it would be for Gene Roddenberry's vision of the future in his Star Trek Television series to come true. Star Trek: The Next Generation is set in the 24th century and people from Earth call their home "Paradise." You do not have to be a fan of Star Trek nor do you have to have watched a single episode to understand what would be in store for us if Mr. Roddenberry's 'vision' came true.

        In the Star Trek series life in the 24th century for the people of Earth is quite different from life on Earth for us today. Most of the world's problems no longer exist. There is no greed, no poverty, no hunger, no prejudices, no crime and most important, no hatred for your fellow man. And there is no money. People do not work for material gain. Every one works on improving themselves and to make their world the best place to live in.

        I wish things could be that way now. Without greed, people would not try to climb the ladder of success by treading on their fellow man on the way up. Without poverty, there would be no more homeless people; no starving children and no one would have to resort to stealing to feed their family.

        Without prejudice, we would live together in harmony, helping one another, looking for the good in all people. No one would be judged by the color of their skin, or by their physical appearance or social status.

        If we could all love one another for who we are inside, the mentally and physically challenged people of the world would not be ridiculed for something that others are afraid of because they are not willing to understand it. They would not be forced into hiding because they are stared at and whispered about.

        Without hatred, leaders of nations would not wish to own another nation or its people. This is the most notable difference in the world of Star Trek compared to the world we now live in. For without this "I want what they have" attitude, there would be no more wars. Without war, there would be no PTSD, no shell-shock, no Agent Orange, and no homeless veterans. There would never again be POW's or MIA's.

        In my mind this is a very tall order, but it is my wish for the future of the Earth. I wish this for my children and for every generation until the end of time.

        So, if I could have one wish come true this Christmas, life on Earth would be the way it is on Star Trek. Sounds more like Heaven to me. Even if it is not possible for this to happen overnight, my hope is that we can work together to solve one problem at a time. And maybe one day we will all be living and working in "Paradise", forever in peace and harmony with one another.

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