I started as a hardcore nerd whose wish for fairness and equality was deepened by watching Star Trek.
I started Sunday school, Jewish version, very young, and I think that's where I started hearing about the Golden Rule, treating people like you want to be treated. That was reinforced in later grades.
By the time Star Trek started, I was ready for the (imperfect) lessons of equality that the show displayed. The message in a number of episodes is that racism is wrong and stupid.
The show was a product of its time and halfheartedly treated women as equals; that's the imperfection.
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