I want to rant on this one now. In 1932, when Jerry Speigel and Joe Shuster began writing the original comic, Superman was supposed to encapsulate the ideals of "Truth, Justice and the American Way". Now that DC Comics has gone through several staffing changes since then, Superman is renouncing his American Citizenship. While I have been told that Superman is a ficticion character (which he is), this matters to me because of the intent behind it, as well as the underlying message which is being passed to our nation's children: That America is an "evil" superpower, and Superman cannot associate himself with us anymore.
Granted, there is no denying that Superman was used as a vehicle of propaganda during World War II and the Cold War. But can anyone truly tell me that Soviet Commnunism and Naziism weren't evil systems that needed to collapse? Stalin, the longest running dictator of the USSR, was one of the worst humanitarian rights violators in history, eclipsed only by Hitler and a handful of others. So propaganda he may have been in the 20th century, but it was for good cause.
So now I want to know why: Why is it necessary for one of the greatest fictional characters of all time to renounce citizenship? What about the Justice League of AMERICA? Yes, I know that in recent years, DC has been moving toward having international teams of superheroes, but that doesn't mean they should all denounce their home countries.
When I enlisted, and again when I reenlisted, I swore an oath. It's an oath I take to heart. To support and defend the Constitution of the United States, against all enemies, foreign and domestic, and to bear true faith and allegiance to the same. It's the same oath any elected official gives upon taking a federal office. It's an oath I will swear again. Now, the critical element is the object of the dual verbs, the Constitution of the United States. The ideals we swore to support and defend. The Constitution is larger than any modern man, it is the very philosophical foundation of our laws. So, if "Superman" (eg his writers) has a problem with what our government is doing, he has a duty to speak out about it. And DC Comics has a public obligation to give true representation to all sides of a story they want to editorialize in their comics. It's no different than running any journalistic organization.
Individuals have the right to express their opinions without reservation. Companies and other collective organizations have an obligation to the People to be fair and balanced. It's that simple. Superman can't just renounce his citizenship. He is the product of decades of collective art. DC Comics owes the people of the United States a storyline giving us the full story, representing all sides.
Granted, there is no denying that Superman was used as a vehicle of propaganda during World War II and the Cold War. But can anyone truly tell me that Soviet Commnunism and Naziism weren't evil systems that needed to collapse? Stalin, the longest running dictator of the USSR, was one of the worst humanitarian rights violators in history, eclipsed only by Hitler and a handful of others. So propaganda he may have been in the 20th century, but it was for good cause.
So now I want to know why: Why is it necessary for one of the greatest fictional characters of all time to renounce citizenship? What about the Justice League of AMERICA? Yes, I know that in recent years, DC has been moving toward having international teams of superheroes, but that doesn't mean they should all denounce their home countries.
When I enlisted, and again when I reenlisted, I swore an oath. It's an oath I take to heart. To support and defend the Constitution of the United States, against all enemies, foreign and domestic, and to bear true faith and allegiance to the same. It's the same oath any elected official gives upon taking a federal office. It's an oath I will swear again. Now, the critical element is the object of the dual verbs, the Constitution of the United States. The ideals we swore to support and defend. The Constitution is larger than any modern man, it is the very philosophical foundation of our laws. So, if "Superman" (eg his writers) has a problem with what our government is doing, he has a duty to speak out about it. And DC Comics has a public obligation to give true representation to all sides of a story they want to editorialize in their comics. It's no different than running any journalistic organization.
Individuals have the right to express their opinions without reservation. Companies and other collective organizations have an obligation to the People to be fair and balanced. It's that simple. Superman can't just renounce his citizenship. He is the product of decades of collective art. DC Comics owes the people of the United States a storyline giving us the full story, representing all sides.
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