Truth, justice and the American way was the motto for Superman. While I wasn't alive when he was conceived of in 1938, I remember as a kid watching George Reeve play Superman on the TV screen doing good for all.
Delivering justice, protecting family and stopping corruption, Superman represented the newly expanded New Deal state. ...Superman vowed to use his powers only to advance the greater good and fight pervasive social ills. He had an infallible moral compass and an unquenchable desire to make the world a safer place.
The Superman generation had ideals and a sturdy moral compass. My parents willingly did their civic duty, cared about justice, fought for the little guy and believed that government cared about and for us. Maybe it was naive and idealistic, but it got this country through the depression and two World Wars. It wasn't perfect, we disagreed a lot, but we also listened and worked at solutions to problems.
Benjamin Moore in a July article for The Chicago Tribune says this:
Superman was the first superhero to introduce Americans to a new role for their government. ...Superman's first appearance in 1938 showed him combating social issues.
The Superman generation had ideals and a sturdy moral compass. My parents willingly did their civic duty, cared about justice, fought for the little guy and believed that government cared about and for us. Maybe it was naive and idealistic, but it got this country through the depression and two World Wars. It wasn't perfect, we disagreed a lot, but we also listened and worked at solutions to problems.
What happened to us? Truth, justice and the American way seems to have been forgotten. As a country, those ideals which have truly made America great, have been assaulted, mocked or forgotten completely. My greatest fear right now is that ideals (truth, courage, goodness, compassion, justice and mercy) do not matter anymore. We are bombarded with lies, propaganda, and misinformation on a daily basis. It's a lot of work and sometimes impossible to uncover what is actually true. It's enough to make heads spin and hearts break. The latest episode transforming Brett Kavanaugh from an alleged perp into a poor victim is just the tip of the iceberg.
History is cyclical, a spiral, actually. Empires come and go, we war and fight, and power changes hands. There are moments of peace and times of brutality. Patterns repeat, but always from the higher ground of greater awareness. We are slow learners. Robert Thurman, a worldwide authority on Buddhism and spirituality, told us that even though things seem to never change we are steadily moving forward in a positive direction, albeit slowly. We may not see it in our lifetime, but he believes we are progressing and I hope he is right.
So here's the silver lining: Times like this teach us the greatest lessons. We have power and authority over how we relate to everything that comes at us. Do not let social media, pundits or politicians disturb our peace! When we can find peace in turbulent times, we learn that our true nature is goodness. Anyone can get swept away at a rally. But who are we really? What do we believe in? John A. Shedd said, “A ship in harbor is safe — but that is not what ships are built for.” Marianne Williamson reminds us that we were made for these times. It's up to each one of us! We have the ability to choose our path and courage to navigate rough waters. So take heart, learn everything, and let us be the best humans we can be. While we are at it, hug the kids, mow the lawn, run for office, eat a cookie, volunteer our time, and VOTE our conscience. We are all in this together.
FYI...
