It’s a bird. It’s a plane. It’s a Superman comic under the Constitution for this congressman

[ThatRobGuy]

It's a bird. It's a plane. It's a Superman comic under the Constitution for this congressman | CNN Politics

California's Robert Garcia will be sworn into office with the Constitution -- and a priceless vintage Superman comic.

www.cnn.com

California’s Robert Garcia will be sworn into office with the Constitution – and a priceless vintage Superman comic.

The comic is one of several sentimental items that will be underneath the Constitution when Garcia takes his ceremonial oath. The copy of “Superman” #1 will be joined by a photo of Garcia’s parents, who died of Covid-19, and his citizenship certificate, according to a Thursday tweet from Garcia.


“I’m looking forward to being sworn-in on the U.S. Constitution,” the Democrat wrote. “Underneath the Constitution will be 3 items that mean a lot to me personally. A photo of my parents who passed due to covid, my citizenship certificate & a Superman #1 from the @librarycongress.”


I know some people have been pearl-clutching about this, but I see this as a sincere move.

While I may not have the same viewpoint as a religious person (and perhaps there's some "law of nostalgia" this is perceived to be violating?), if a non-religious person is being sworn into office, I'd rather see them place their hand on something that has meaning to them vs. pretending to care about a belief system when they actually don't.

If a person's an atheist, do you want them placing their hand on a bible to just give an insincere nod to your belief system simply to pander? Or would you prefer them to be upfront and honest about how their beliefs differ from your own? Personally speaking, I'd prefer the latter, but I can't speak for religious people.

 

[Tuur]

The issue is that it's a comic book. OTOH, for politicians, a joke book might be more appropriate.

 

[sandman]

seems apropos for a dem.

 

[GreatLakes4Ever]

seems apropos for a dem.

Superman fights for “truth, justice, and the American way.” Sounds appropriate for a member of Congress. If you want that to be characteristics that are specific to Democrats, far be it from me to stop you.

 

[sandman]

Superman fights for “truth, justice, and the American way.” Sounds appropriate for a member of Congress. If you want that to be characteristics that are specific to Democrats, far be it from me to stop you.

God’s Word is Truth…. it is Justice ….and for anybody who wants it….. is everybody’s way.

 

[Hans Blaster]

Perhaps we should note...

I watched them take the oath of office last night, all 433 of them in a single room raising their right hands and taking the oath. Most of them (if not all of them) had no book or object under their other hand and none is needed. The "hand on book" version is just for the "photo shoot" version that occurs afterward (and often with family in the shot).

Here was the real oath last night, no books to be seen:

 

[Tuur]

Superman fights for “truth, justice, and the American way.” Sounds appropriate for a member of Congress. If you want that to be characteristics that are specific to Democrats, far be it from me to stop you.

Um...DC changed Superman's motto to "Truth, justice, and a better tomorrow." That said, the particular comic book is a rare collector's issue worth a good bit of money. Maybe not quite the vibe the congressman was after.

 

[Tuur]

Here's a question: Oaths, at their root, invoke deity so that if the oath taker violates their oath they are then subject to the wrath of deity. That's something that predates Christianity. But how did the tradition of taking an oath on a bible come about?

 

[Pommer]

Um...DC changed Superman's motto to "Truth, justice, and a better tomorrow." That said, the particular comic book is a rare collector's issue worth a good bit of money. Maybe not quite the vibe the congressman was after.

Do you think that “new motto” is significantly different than the old one?
(Isn’t the message of “a better tomorrow” sort of what “the American Way” used to be?

 

[Petros2015]

I know some people have been pearl-clutching about this, but I see this as a sincere move.

Agreed. Superman was chosen as something from his childhood, but also as mentioned in the article "Superman was an immigrant"

 

[Tuur]

Do you think that “new motto” is significantly different than the old one?
(Isn’t the message of “a better tomorrow” sort of what “the American Way” used to be?

The shift is indication that the writers for DC no longer believe the American Way means a better tomorrow.

 

[Tuur]

Agreed. Superman was chosen as something from his childhood, but also as mentioned in the article "Superman was an immigrant"

Yet it's on a comic book that's worthy a lot of money.

 

[Petros2015]

Yet it's on a comic book that's worthy a lot of money.

I don't see the negative connection. When he was a boy he probably read Superman. He became a congressman. Most people don't get very close to a Superman #1 comic in their lives. But the Library of Congress happened to have access to one (for congressmen to borrow).

I feel like he made a good choice.
If it had been Marshal Law #1 I would have been worried.

Marshal Law Vol 1 1

Featured Characters: Marshal Law (First appearance) Supporting Characters: Sorry - The Nearly Man (First appearance) Commissioner McGland (First appearance) Antagonists: Sleepman (First appearance) Gangreen (First appearance) Morgue (First appearance) Overdose (First appearance) Suicida (First...

marvel.fandom.com

 

[ThatRobGuy]

I don't see the negative connection. When he was a boy he probably read Superman. He became a congressman. Most people don't get very close to a Superman #1 comic in their lives. But the Library of Congress happened to have access to one (for congressmen to borrow).

I feel like he made a good choice.
If it had been Marshal Law #1 I would have been worried.

Marshal Law Vol 1 1

Featured Characters: Marshal Law (First appearance) Supporting Characters: Sorry - The Nearly Man (First appearance) Commissioner McGland (First appearance) Antagonists: Sleepman (First appearance) Gangreen (First appearance) Morgue (First appearance) Overdose (First appearance) Suicida (First...

marvel.fandom.com

Until this, I actually wasn't aware that the LOC had such an extensive collection of comic books. I guess I always just assumed their curation was limited to more political and legal writings.

But as it turns out

https://loc.gov/rr/news/comics.html

The largest publicly available collection of comic books in the United States is housed in the Newspaper and Current Periodical Reading Room. The collection includes U.S. and foreign comic books--over 12,000 titles in all, totaling more than 140,000 issues.

 

[Petros2015]

Until this, I actually wasn't aware that the LOC had such an extensive collection of comic books. I guess I always just assumed their curation was limited to more political and legal writings.

Yep when I was a kid my dad would take me to LOC, and we could fill out cards, wait 45 minutes and the library gnomes would bring whatever books we looked up on the old Scorpio terminals. Comics included, I was collecting X-men at the time but they had back issues I had never read like