My Reply to Anonymous
I rarely use my LJ for revealing my inner-most musings (leaving out all the stories I have posted, of course). However, I received the following Anonymous statement in the comments at the end of my story "The Hard Right":
"Sheppards crime here was worse than Wallaces. He cold heartedly schemed to get Wallace to sacrifice himself to save Rodney. He did exactlty what Wallace did, sacrificed one life to save another. At least Wallace had injected Jeannie in a moment of desparation while Sheppard had planned exactly how he wanted Wallace to die.
I still get shivers watching Sheppard so cold heartedly talk a man into killing himself. His actions were cowardly and immoral and it's sad that the writers condone this kind of behavour. No one has the right to act as judge and jury and take the law into their own hands. Wallace paid dearly for his crime but Sheppard just walked away scot free."
I want to start out by saying I respect your right to speak your mind. I don't subscribe to the vastly liberal interpretation of the First Amendment that is widely accepted today, but I put my brainchild out in a public forum and invited comment. However, I would have respected your opinion more if you had had the courage of your convictions and not posted anonymously. If you don't have an LJ account you could have at least given your nom de plume. Also, I fail to understand why - if you dislike the Miller's Crossing storyline so passionately - you chose to read (or at least comment on) a story clearly marked as a missing scene for that episode.
Leaving that aside, I would like to comment on your opinion that Sheppard committed a greater crime than Wallace: I beg to disagree.
Yes, Wallace infected Jeanie in desperation. However, it was not a spur of the moment, nothing left to do, panicked act of a man fearful of losing his only child. He obviously had put a great deal of thought into it, and subverted others into helping him. He could have approached the SGC, confessed his crime (of theft) and asked for their help. As we all know, they are notoriously willing to do so. No, he did not know this, but it was an option more honorable than kidnapping and infecting another person with the deadly nanites.
Was Sheppard's act one of desperation? I believe it was. Leaving out him performing this deed out of a feeling of friendship (which is a strong argument in favor), I think he did this for the "greater good." Would McKay have found a way to reach the Wraith and offer himself as sustenance? He is certainly smart enough and, I think, felt love/guilt/desperate enough to do it. Sheppard knows this. He also knows that McKay is far too important a component of the Atlantis expedition to be sacrificed in this manner or to be lost later through anger (at SGC/IOA/Sheppard interference or failure to save his sister), guilt and/or depression.
Wallace's life was basically over. Even if there was a public trial (highly unlikely based on previous storylines), 2 counts of kidnapping and attempted murder (or murder if Jeannie died) on top of the theft of government property would pretty much guarantee him never living outside of a prison again. But it would be a life, some would argue. Not much of one, though. And Wallace knew this. And he would also be living with not only the murder of Jeannie, but of precipitating the death of his child.
Sheppard knew this and exploited it. Was it illegal? Possibly. I'm not a lawyer and not sure about the legality of talking someone into killing themselves. Was it a dark, morally ambiguous act? Definitely. I don't think Sheppard undertook it lightly (we didn't see him dancing around gleefully, did we?), nor do I think he wouldn't suffer over the decision. Everything we have seen about the man indicates that he takes his responsibility to his duty, to the expedition, to those under his protection, to those under his command, to his friends very seriously. And he is willing to make the hard choices and follow through with them, no matter how damaging to his psyche or his soul.
Wallace wanted to save his daughter and made the decision to kidnap 2 people and infect at least one of them with potentially deadly technology. Sheppard wanted to save Jeannie Miller and keep Rodney McKay (and thereby Atlantis) safe. He "presented a situation" to a man, who was admittedly in a depressed state. He did not drag Wallace into that lab and hold him down while Todd fed on him. Wallace volunteered.
I cannot agree that Sheppard's act was worse than Wallace's. You may argue that it was no better, but I think Wallace's was more firmly on the low road. Sheppard committed a potentially soul destroying act in a more moral way than did Wallace.
I think that Sheppard was far more courageous in this episode than in any other we have seen.
/my opinion
"Sheppards crime here was worse than Wallaces. He cold heartedly schemed to get Wallace to sacrifice himself to save Rodney. He did exactlty what Wallace did, sacrificed one life to save another. At least Wallace had injected Jeannie in a moment of desparation while Sheppard had planned exactly how he wanted Wallace to die.
I still get shivers watching Sheppard so cold heartedly talk a man into killing himself. His actions were cowardly and immoral and it's sad that the writers condone this kind of behavour. No one has the right to act as judge and jury and take the law into their own hands. Wallace paid dearly for his crime but Sheppard just walked away scot free."
I want to start out by saying I respect your right to speak your mind. I don't subscribe to the vastly liberal interpretation of the First Amendment that is widely accepted today, but I put my brainchild out in a public forum and invited comment. However, I would have respected your opinion more if you had had the courage of your convictions and not posted anonymously. If you don't have an LJ account you could have at least given your nom de plume. Also, I fail to understand why - if you dislike the Miller's Crossing storyline so passionately - you chose to read (or at least comment on) a story clearly marked as a missing scene for that episode.
Leaving that aside, I would like to comment on your opinion that Sheppard committed a greater crime than Wallace: I beg to disagree.
Yes, Wallace infected Jeanie in desperation. However, it was not a spur of the moment, nothing left to do, panicked act of a man fearful of losing his only child. He obviously had put a great deal of thought into it, and subverted others into helping him. He could have approached the SGC, confessed his crime (of theft) and asked for their help. As we all know, they are notoriously willing to do so. No, he did not know this, but it was an option more honorable than kidnapping and infecting another person with the deadly nanites.
Was Sheppard's act one of desperation? I believe it was. Leaving out him performing this deed out of a feeling of friendship (which is a strong argument in favor), I think he did this for the "greater good." Would McKay have found a way to reach the Wraith and offer himself as sustenance? He is certainly smart enough and, I think, felt love/guilt/desperate enough to do it. Sheppard knows this. He also knows that McKay is far too important a component of the Atlantis expedition to be sacrificed in this manner or to be lost later through anger (at SGC/IOA/Sheppard interference or failure to save his sister), guilt and/or depression.
Wallace's life was basically over. Even if there was a public trial (highly unlikely based on previous storylines), 2 counts of kidnapping and attempted murder (or murder if Jeannie died) on top of the theft of government property would pretty much guarantee him never living outside of a prison again. But it would be a life, some would argue. Not much of one, though. And Wallace knew this. And he would also be living with not only the murder of Jeannie, but of precipitating the death of his child.
Sheppard knew this and exploited it. Was it illegal? Possibly. I'm not a lawyer and not sure about the legality of talking someone into killing themselves. Was it a dark, morally ambiguous act? Definitely. I don't think Sheppard undertook it lightly (we didn't see him dancing around gleefully, did we?), nor do I think he wouldn't suffer over the decision. Everything we have seen about the man indicates that he takes his responsibility to his duty, to the expedition, to those under his protection, to those under his command, to his friends very seriously. And he is willing to make the hard choices and follow through with them, no matter how damaging to his psyche or his soul.
Wallace wanted to save his daughter and made the decision to kidnap 2 people and infect at least one of them with potentially deadly technology. Sheppard wanted to save Jeannie Miller and keep Rodney McKay (and thereby Atlantis) safe. He "presented a situation" to a man, who was admittedly in a depressed state. He did not drag Wallace into that lab and hold him down while Todd fed on him. Wallace volunteered.
I cannot agree that Sheppard's act was worse than Wallace's. You may argue that it was no better, but I think Wallace's was more firmly on the low road. Sheppard committed a potentially soul destroying act in a more moral way than did Wallace.
I think that Sheppard was far more courageous in this episode than in any other we have seen.
/my opinion