NortonIDaughter wrote:So Manticore needs a new constitution, or at least a heck of a set of amendments. Forget the Talbott cluster; the newest citizens to need some new rights expressly codified are the treecats and their people. (And one other group I'll get to.)
Right now the 'cats have one extra-MBS colony, on Grayson. It's likely they'll want to establish others, and it's certain that the higher ups on Haven, Beowulf, etc will want to extend that invitation-- the 'cats are too great an advantage to the humans they choose to partner with. But as we've seen in Treecat Wars, even 'cats have conflicts between them. How does Manticore deal with the fact that there will eventually come a time, if only in the distant future, when war will cut some 'cat clans off from the homeworld-- or worse, pit treecats against Manticore itself? They need a "right of return" for treecats and their adoptees. Automatic dual citizenship or only just the offer, permanently extended.
So far, treecats have been lucky in their allies, and cunning in their successful takeover of the monarchy. But now that they're out of the closet, they need the right to an education, and to send representatives to Parliament if they so choose. Most 'cats may always want to live as they have, but now that they're starting to integrate more closely into human society, they need to be able to access the information they need, and to argue their case as necessary. (How would treecats vote on going to war, for example? Not to mention, what one constitutional amendment can do, another can undo...)
And while the SEM's in the process of adjusting to the fact that they have a whole sentient species demanding a new role in their society, perhaps they ought to extend the same opportunities to the OTHER sentient species they've colonized.
Medusans. All we really see of them is in OBS, where they're described as having all the hallmarks of any civilization, including governments, laws, and trade. Where Manticore could have argued that, without a common language, the "perpetual child" thing was the best they could do for treecats, Medusans *have* language and have had the ability to communicate with humans for decades.
Where is their representation in Parliament? How do they contest Manticore's decisions about their planet, which has already been involved in Manticore's wars at least twice? We know Manticore limits their access to technology regardless of their wishes (using the rather spurious argument that they don't want to contaminate the culture-- if all you wanted was the wormhole, why did you land at all? Just build the forts, call the planet a preserve and don't let anyone land!).
Do they have the right to go off-world? Do they have the right to books, histories, galactic news? I would assume not, if Manticore is trying to keep them from acquiring tech (and educational materials would lead to exactly that). Which is ridiculous. At this point, Medusans know the galaxy is out there. It's time to give it to them.
Treecats have legal right s because they are cute and cuddly.
Medusans have no rights because not only are they shit ugly, they eat their own shit. No one wants to associate with them. Hell, just nuke em from orbit.