Superman and the Loss of The American Way

NOTE: My thoughts below were written in response (and quite on the fly, actually) to an article stating that in DC Comics, Superman is going to renounce his US citizenship – removing “the American Way” from his stance. Whatever. When I saw the last Superman movie “the American Way” was replaced with “Truth, justice, and all that stuff…”. That irked me then and it irks me more knowing that DC is pushing it. I am not a Superman fan, but I felt compelled to respond. I’m reposting here. (Article: http://aol.it/fBeYSf).

The “American Way” is not about American Policy or politics. It was summarized, not initiated, with statements like “We the people” and “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” The American Way is not what we have created, but what we have come to realize created us, as a nation, as a people, above and beyond the political contrivances in capitol buildings, whether in our states or the marble domes near the Potomac river.

The writers and editors today fail to understand that America is most admired beyond our shores and borders because of those ideals, ideals that lead to what we are and have been for centuries. Truth? Truth is transcendent of any nation, while Justice is inherent to a functional and cohesive nation. But the American Way? That’s the coalescence of the common qualities that have emerged from antiquity and set foot on these shores to forge a humble greatness.

Our failings as a nation, from persecution of indigenous tribes, importing souls from other lands as slaves, even waging war against ourselves in the bloodiest war we have ever experienced — these are not and have never been part of the fabric of the American way. These are traits of the human way, the tragic dark side that rears its head in many, if not most, cultures at some time. But by virtue of the better angels of our nature we have overcome these atrocities, sought to amend these wrongs, and worked tireless to share and promote that goodness we found and embraced so that others around the world would benefit.

Over the past 100 years or more we done more to preserve tribes and people who faced genocide, from Germany’s expansion in the 40s to the former Czech republic in the 90s. We have liberated millions through strong-arming the Soviets and freeing the people of Iraq. We have built a great nation, while willfully going across the ocean to fight for strangers in the middle east, Europe, Asia, and other lands.

We did this in our pursuit to preserve truth and promote justice, not standing idly by for someone else to save the day. The American Way that Superman has stood for is far bigger than America itself, but those three words pack more meaning than a set of encyclopedias ever could. The Superman we have known for the better part of a century is unchanged, despite the self-inflicted guilt of his current stewards. Their motives are unclear. To make Superman a citizen of everywhere is to make him a citizen of nowhere.

Superman was born of dreams, the day dream that a man could fly, that he could have incredible power and use that power for good and in the most selfless ways. Superman came to life through tireless efforts and ambition. He had his limits, even his failures, and across all ages he is known for this: Heroism. And for many around the world, that’s their perception of America’s goodness, indeed, America’s way. For decades we have been a hero for peoples around the world. Never perfect nor flawless. But always there ready to help, serve, even save.

Isn’t that what “the American way” was really about?

Photo by Yogi Purnama on Unsplash