http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2011/apr/29/superman-threatens-renounce-us-citizenship
http://www.wired.com/underwire/2011/04/action-comics-900/
See, I really like this decision and I kinda understand it.
When people say that Superman is a great hero because he saved...( insert the rest) they don't usually end
this by saying "Smallville", "Metropolis", or "the United States". In most cases, this statement ends with
"the world" or even "the universe". So really, what is the big deal? Why pigeonhole Superman's noble deeds
and heroism by placing such a stereotypical desgination on him? His actions do not belong to one people; his
actions belong to everyone. Superman saves lives regardless of what country or even planet the beings come
from. He saves worlds that are not always called planet Earth. His decision doesn't make him anti-American.
His decision simply shows that just like our thoughts and philosophical stances change and evolve as the
world around us does the samholds true for Superman. If Superman thought the EXACT same way now as
he did when he was created then how boring would that be.
Also, I've always been a pessimist when it comes to believing in the altruistic nature of big goverment. I
think most politicians are pawns of special interest groups and in turn manipulate others into being their
pawns for self interest and personal advancement. That is not to say I think all politicians are dishonest or
do not help their respective constituents but I've seen too many politicians exposed as snake oil salesmen
to trust them as much as others do. Superman's perceptions are that he is disillusioned and really..haven't
we all been disillusioned by some of the stuff the US government does? If anything this makes him more
human and more relevant as a character, to know that he can still stand up for what is right but do so for the
true greater good and not as some ultra powerful "Yes man" to politicians and big government. Protecting the
innocent is not a US mandate. It should and always will be a universal mandate. When we start saying "oh
what is happening in such and such place is none of our business" as innocent people are suffering is wrong
and the first step down a dark path of apathy.
Kudos to you Superman. Stand up for what is right regardless of whether that "right" is considered the
American Way because when it comes to doing the right thing, such actions have no nationality.
This quote from a recent article sums it up nicely..
"The genius of Superman is that he belongs to everyone, for the dual purposes of peace and protection.
He’s above ephemeral geopolitics and nationalist concerns, a universal agent unlike any other found in
pop culture."
Yes indeed.
"When good people in any country cease their vigilance and struggle, then evil men prevail." - Pearl S. Buck
"The moment we break faith with one another, the sea engulfs us and the light goes out." - James Baldwin
About me.....
- Dragonheart
- I'm a dreamer and perhaps too much of an eternal optimist. I always try to look at the glass as half full. Defiant and ferocious towards those who would seek to unjustly harm others, I speak my mind...for better or worse. Where as some view compassion as a weakness I view it as a strength. I try not to live in the shadows of my regrets because doing so dims the light and the promise of a new day. I do not strive for perfection for this is the quest of fools and denies a man the blessings of humility. The bonds of true friendship and family are to be protected...sometimes by the cunning, stealth, and tenaciousness of a mouse but other times by the wrath and fury of the dragon. I am one and yet I am both. This is my truth.
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