I know that some non-trek fans do not understand why people are so pissed off by JJ's New Movie or why the new resign that is just called the Enterprise NCC 1701 is enraging people and so on....
Well, Star Trek has had an big impact not just on USA, but on the world. Star Trek is more then just a dumb show from the 60's, It is a part of World History. Changing the Enterprise NCC 1701 is somewhat like if someone redesigned the statue of liberty. This not a extreme view of Star Trek's impact, it is more on the lines of the truth. Star Trek has had and still has an effect on our everyday lives.
http://www.nasm.si.edu/visit/concessions/shops/enterprise.cfm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Shuttle_Enterprise
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/How_William_Shatner_Changed_the_World
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cultural_influence_of_Star_Trek
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communicator_(Star_Trek)#Relation_to_current_technology
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Altair_8800#Popular_Electronics
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VSS_Enterprise
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VSS_Voyager
and so on....