Honorary Oakley December 2006
Laura Roslin - President

Firstly, welcome one and all to the new look Honorary Oakley. This will be the standard format for the monthly Oakleys from this point forth. No reason for the revamp really, other than a change was needed so that the Oakleys fit in better with the feel of the overall site. They’ll also now be slightly shorter, due to page length.

This month we were looking for someone extra special to cover, a woman of such strength and fortitude that she stood out from the crowd. Although we’d have liked to have gone for a ‘real’ woman, we’ve opted for yet another fictional character in the form of Laura Roslin. For those people who do not watch the new Battlestar Galactica TV series, the name will mean very little, but, after reading about her, we’re sure you’ll see why she’s made it into the annals of the Honorary Oakley.

Let’s start with a little background for those unfamiliar with her overall story. The planet Caprica, much like an idyllic Earth, was minding its own business one day when it was attacked and almost entirely wiped out by the returning Cylons—the Cylons being a race of robots/androids, created by humans many years before, that waged a war against their creators before disappearing into space. Essentially it’s a story of the child of man returning to wipe them out. The majority of the Caprican population are subsequently killed during the merciless Cylon surprise attack, and those spared are but a handful of remaining planetary survivors and those who take flight to the vastness of space.

An Educational Promotion…
At the time of the assault on Caprica, Laura Roslin, a member of the government, held the office of Secretary of Education, under the then President Richard Adar. By some fortuitous stroke of fate, Laura Roslin is visiting the Battlestar Galactica when the Cylons launch their all-out nuclear assault on an unsuspecting Caprica. She is subsequently spared from the slaughter and her life is changed for ever.

It soon becomes clear that all other high-ranking government officials are now dead, and, as a result, Roslin is catapulted into the position of President of the Twelve Colonies, essentially making her the President of all human survivors. This is a position that she holds with grace, strength, and considerable fortitude.

Saviour and Leader…
But Laura Roslin holds a secret that a scant few trusted friends know: she is dying. More pointedly, she’s struggling through the final stages of inoperable breast cancer. Whilst being treated by herbs for her condition, Roslin experiences inexplicable visions. Eventually it becomes clear that these visions tie-in with the holy books of scripture that the people of the Twelve Colonies follow. To cut a long story short, Roslin (and many others) believes she is the dying leader the scriptures state will lead her people to salvation. This culminates in clues to the whereabouts of the mythical thirteenth colony, a planet named Earth, a planet that the survivors duly set out to find (we don’t want to spoil it, should you wish to watch it).

Death and Rebirth…
Laura Roslin is subsequently spared death—again we’re not revealing the spoiler—which leads to some suggesting the work of a miracle. And, given their belief that she is the mighty leader meant to guide them to Earth, this all seems to make a great deal of sense. Whatever the case, Roslin exhibits an amazing strength of character and an elegant grace throughout every mounting ordeal, and that’s why we’ve placed her as December’s Oakley. Imagine a female leader, but on numerous levels (administrative and spiritual), a woman who places the wellbeing of her people before the importance of her own declining health. That, in a nut shell, is Laura Roslin.

Trials and Tribulations…
We won’t go into the show’s back-story too much here, but needless to say the road is not always smooth for the President. There are times when she loses office, but she never loses sight of the overall goal, to ensure the survival of the human race and to see its remnants safely to Earth. Roslin’s character is played wonderfully by actress Mary McDonnell, who’s perhaps best known for her roles in Dances With Wolves and Independence Day; McDonnell has such charisma that it is easy to believe this quiet, graceful woman could indeed hold an office of such magnitude.

“And so say we all!”

You probably have to watch the Battlestar Galactica TV series (now in its third season) to actually ‘get’ just what makes this character so amazingly cool. However, we do hope that this little bit of insight into the character of Laura Roslin has shown you why she’s eligible to Oakley inclusion. The Honorary Oakley is here to counterbalance the shallow ‘tits and ass’ mentality of some other gaming sites, especially with their babe of the month features. This is about strong, resourceful, amazing women, and President Laura Roslin is indeed one of them.

All pictures used herein copyright their respective owners. Any pictures appearing here you feel should not, will be removed immidiately.
This article is in no way connected to or licensed by the scifi channel and pictures herein remain their property. This is merely a homage.