“There’s nothing immediate I can do about what’s going on right now. I wish I could but it’s like Alien. In space, no one can hear you scream.
That’s the problem, everyone is in their own space and some have been screaming for decades.
Everyone is happy as long as there are no personal effects. We just can’t seem to think of our fellow humans. This makes me sad.”
— Aubrey Stokes
Ellen Ripley was “simply” a warrant officer of the Nostromo when the Alien series began. She had a cat named Jonesy, and she was loyal to her ship’s crew.
When placed in terrible and traumatic situations (again and again), she kept her wits and her head about her while everyone else was losing theirs.
Unfortunately, we don’t live in a time, place, or society where rugged determination and self-sufficiency decide your fate. Politicians, neighbors, infrastructure, and social stability all matter. When the “social contract” fails, we all fail.
I wish we had a leader like Ellen Ripley. I wish we had a leader more interested in uniting people rather than sowing division. We need to stop, assess our situation, unite together in a plan to overcome it, and see to our mutual survival.