Farewell Superman, hello UNman 872
America no longer a superpower? Superman no longer American?
Calvin Freiburger sums up the events that led to the superhero’s desertion at Front Page:
In DC Comics’ Action Comics #900 … Superman decides he has to renounce his U.S. citizenship:
In it, Superman consults with the President’s national security advisor, who is incensed that Superman appeared in Tehran to non-violently support the protesters demonstrating against the Iranian regime …
It was good that he went to support the Iranian protesters, but why non-violently? Has he turned wussie?
However, since Superman is viewed as an American icon in the DC Universe as well as our own, the Iranian government has construed his actions as the will of the American President, and indeed, an act of war.
Superman replies that it was foolish to think that his actions would not reflect politically on the American government, and that he therefore plans to renounce his American citizenship at the United Nations [yikes!] the next day — and to continue working as a superhero from a more global than national perspective. …
Can he do this and still be Superman?
As an alien raised on a Kansas farm who grows up to fight for truth, justice, and the American way both as a superhero and as a newspaper reporter, Superman’s American identity and values have always been central to the character. … He can’t simply switch who he is at will. …
Not unless the world changes, every country on earth becoming a Land of the Free, embodying all the ideals of the founders of the USA.
If Superman is no longer American, he is no longer Superman. He is gone.
We expect Action Comics to launch a new character named … UNman?
UNman. A superwussie in a blue beret. A vegetarian, of course. With just enough muscle to play a flute, his main task being to lead the Palestinians – Pied-Piper style – into Israel, and the Jews into the sea.
Questioning religiously 111
In her radio show, Dr Laura Schlesinger said, as an observant Orthodox Jew, homosexuality is an abomination according to Leviticus 18:22, and cannot be condoned under any circumstance.
Dear Dr. Laura,
Thank you for doing so much to educate people regarding God’s Law. I have learned a great deal from your show, and try to share that knowledge with as many people as I can. When someone tries to defend the homosexual lifestyle, for example, I simply remind them that Leviticus 18:22 clearly states it to be an abomination … End of debate.
I do need some advice from you, however, regarding some other elements of God’s Laws and how to follow them.
1. Leviticus 25:44 states that I may possess slaves, both male and female, provided they are from neighboring nations. A friend of mine claims that this applies to Mexicans, but not Canadians. Can you clarify? Why can’t I own Canadians?
2. I would like to sell my daughter into slavery, as sanctioned in Exodus 21:7. In this day and age, what do you think would be a fair price for her?
3. When I burn a bull on the altar as a sacrifice, I know it creates a pleasing odor for the Lord – Lev.1:9. The problem is my neighbors. They claim the odor is not pleasing to them. Should I smite them?
4. I have a neighbor who insists on working on the Sabbath. Exodus 35:2 clearly states he should be put to death. Am I morally obligated to kill him myself, or should I ask the police to do it?
5. A friend of mine feels that even though eating shellfish is an abomination, Lev. 11:10, it is a lesser abomination than homosexuality. I don’t agree. Can you settle this? Are there ‘degrees’ of abomination?
6. Lev. 21:20 states that I may not approach the altar of God if I have a defect in my sight. I have to admit that I wear reading glasses. Does my vision have to be 20/20, or is there some wiggle-room here?
7. Most of my male friends get their hair trimmed, including the hair around their temples, even though this is expressly forbidden by Lev. 19:27. How should they die?
8. I know from Lev. 11:6-8 that touching the skin of a dead pig makes me unclean, but may I still play football if I wear gloves?
9. My uncle has a farm. He violates Lev.19:19 by planting two different crops in the same field, as does his wife by wearing garments made of two different kinds of thread (cotton/polyester blend). He also tends to curse and blaspheme a lot. Is it really necessary that we go to all the trouble of getting the whole town together to stone them? Lev.24:10-16. Couldn’t we just burn them to death at a private family affair, like we do with people who sleep with their in-laws? (Lev. 20:14)
I know you have studied these things extensively and thus enjoy considerable expertise in such matters, so I’m confident you can help.
Thank you again for reminding us that God’s word is eternal and unchanging.
Your adoring fan,
James M. Kauffman, Ed.D. Professor Emeritus,
Dept. Of Curriculum, Instruction, and Special Education
University of Virginia
PS. It will be a shame if we can’t own a Canadian.
Footnote: We are grateful to our reader, Damon Minvielle, for drawing our attention to Dr. James Kauffman’s denial that he wrote the “Dear Dr. Laura” letter.
http://drlauraletter.com/ and http://people.virginia.edu/~jmk9t/
Much in demand 1
We are not fans of President Kennedy. Our “greatest president of the 20th century” is Ronald Reagan. But we agree with the point of this cartoon.
Against schools 134
Except for the convenience of parents who need or like to put their children in the responsible care of others while they work or just take a break from parenting, physical schools for children are no longer needed. It’s perfectly possible now for children to be educated without being assembled in classrooms. The internet is the ideal resource. A child needs a safe room, a computer, and at least until mid-adolescence, adequate supervision. Given those, the chances are he’ll get a far better education than he’d get at school.
His “social needs”? No reason why his learning on the net should deprive him of companionship, debate, competition, and everything else that a group of peers provides in the classroom and playground.
Not only are classrooms anachronistic and unnecessary, what is being taught in them is positively bad.
In general, what is being taught now in the schools of the English-speaking world are not the old subjects of Science, Math, English, History, Geography. The new subjects are Self-esteem, Exploring Sexuality, Multiculturalism, Anti-Racism, Climate Change, and Social Justice.
- Self-Esteem: lessons on “rights”. Your right to health care, to a really nice house, to certificates of qualification, to a really nice job with a really nice salary, and air time on TV.
- Exploring Sexuality: lessons on what a body can do alone, with another, with many others, and how to avoid reproducing when you do some of it.
- Multiculturalism: lessons on Islam, how to submit to it and even better how to become a Muslim.
- Anti-Racism: lessons on how whites are racists.
- Climate Change: lessons on the importance of recycling and keeping down emissions, with a regular showing of Al Gore’s “An Inconvenient Truth”.
- Social Justice: lessons on wealth redistribution by government to ensure economic equality.
True, these subjects would probably be abandoned by the home-school parent and child, but – also true – it would be a good thing if they were.
Furthermore, the abolition of schools for children would save a lot of money. It would also break the power of the teachers’ unions.
There is no downside to the idea.
“Zenga Zenga” 8
It’s spreading all over. We got it from Creeping Sharia where they say this:
A remix of a rambling 75-minute speech Gadhafi delivered on Tuesday, set to dance music and featuring the strongman alongside footage of two gyrating girls, has gone viral on the Internet. It has racked up almost half a million views on the video-sharing website YouTube since it was posted three days ago. Called “Zenga Zenga,” the music video mixes Gadhafi’s quotes with club beats, using lines in which he vows to fight “inch by inch, home by home, alley by alley” as the chorus for the song. The clip was created by Israeli musician and DJ Noy Alooshe and appears to be wildly popular in the Arab world despite its origins in the Jewish state.
He has also posted online a version of the spoof hit without the scantily clad dancing girls to take into account sensibilities in the Muslim world. That version has some catching up to do in terms of popularity, with about 50,000 hits so far.
“There were some curses, but still most said it was a great remix,” Alooshe said.
“One guy even said that when Gadhafi falls we will dance to this remix in the streets of Tripoli – that would really be something.”
