Mike Greear News Editor Last month, Marvel Comics caught some flack from conservatives regarding their January issue of Captain America. The issue featured a scene in which a group of anti-tax protesters marched through the the streets in Boise, Idaho. Captain America’s buddy, The Falcon, observes the scene from a nearby rooftop, saying “I don’t exactly see a black man from Harlem fitting in with a bunch of angry white folks,” referring to himself as the former. As he looks on, one of the tea party protestors is shown to hold a sign saying “Tea bag the libs before they tea bag you,” which seemed to identify the group as the Tea Party. Conservatives were outraged that The Falcon would refer to a Tea Party as an uncomfortable place for a black man to be, as though the nature of the protests are racist in some way. Marvel apologized for what was said and assured the public that they were not trying to insinuate in any way that the Tea Party conservatives are racist. I’m wondering if what’s really eating at the conservatives is that Captain America isn’t on their side. Captain America is a national icon, and a patriotic icon from a time that most conservatives consider to be America’s greatest era. Tea partiers consider themselves to be fighting for truth, justice, and the “real” American way. It has to be frustrating to think that Captain America doesn’t have their back in this endeavor, and they probably feel that liberals are using the character unfairly or improperly. I mean, this guy goes around all day dressed as the American flag. He has to be conservative, right? The Captain America comic book has a long history of reflecting the political climate of the country, even back when comics were intended for kids. Captain America started off as a modern day Jewish folk hero who was sent overseas during World War II to plant a haymaker on Hitler’s chin. Later, when Nixon betrayed the nation, Cap briefly gave up his title to fight crime as Nomad, a man without a country. The current story arc of the comic is called “The Two Americas,” and is a study of the growing rift that exists among the American people. With that in mind, would it be unfair or unrealistic for a black man from Harlem to feel out of place or uncomfortable at the sight of a Tea Party protest? I don’t think so. I think it’s perfectly honest to have the character react that way. Cap has stated before that he doesn’t equate patriotism with loyalty to the government or to a particular party within the government. His ideal America is surely not a place where people ostracize others for not being “real” Americans. Based on the Tea Party’s track record, they really don’t seem to be interested in making America a better place — just in making it a more republican place. Cap’s motivations are simply not that narrow or divisive. Captain America represents an ideal America where people take pride not in their flag or in their party, but in their fellow man. A place where people use their ideas as tools instead of weapons (it says a lot that Cap carries a shield and never a gun or a sword). So, he isn’t really a mascot of any form of America that has existed before, but of an America that could exist if people want it enough. Marvel shouldn’t have to apologize for giving an accurate depiction of America’s current political division. I can understand why, from a corporate standpoint, they would want to stamp out the controversy before the flames got any higher, but I think it’s unfortunate that they had to do so. If the Tea Party is appalled by what was depicted in that comic, maybe they should rethink how they come across to people outside their group. If they’re upset that the Captain America icon is in opposition to them, maybe they should start striving for the enlightened America that Cap envisions instead of the selfish one that Sarah Palin and Glenn Beck ask them to fight for.
Captain America not Captain Conservative
Published: Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Updated: Wednesday, March 3, 2010 14:03
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