I know people are extremely passionate about what is happening in the country today. Hard lines have been drawn, and you won’t find many people in the middle anymore. We are on one side or the other. It seems that the comic book characters we grew up with and love have also been dragged into this, and to be honest, it is the dumbest thing I have ever seen in my life.
I have no problem with people having their own opinions. We live in a country where that is a right. No one is locking anyone up for thinking the wrong thing, at least not now. I don’t even have a problem with how you express your opinion, but I have no sympathy if or when the way you express it, usually through protesting, leads to your arrest or worse. Letting people know how you feel is one thing. Actively interfering with the police while thinking you are some kind of freedom fighter is not the way to go. This will always lead to a clear FAFO moment.
For those on the left who don’t want to get their own hands dirty but want to mobilize others, comic book artists and writers living in a leftist or communist bubble are stirring the pot and using comic book characters to speak out. For every person who agrees with them, I would bet there are more who find the way these characters are used offensive. I know I do. Seeing Captain America, Spider-Man, Wolverine, Batman, and Superman turned into villains because some people want to help burn down the greatest country in the world is upsetting. These creators hide on sites like Bluesky and rage against the government, calling them and anyone who supports them Nazis or fascists. They have no common sense. If we lived in the kind of country they think we do, they would have been rounded up long ago.
They have weaponized these characters and filled their word bubbles with toxic logic. They depict them committing violent acts against people who are only trying to make our country safe. The police already have a tough enough job. These comic book creators are making things worse, all from the safety of their own homes, usually far from any of these protests. They don’t want to participate themselves; they want their followers to act out the violence they post online. If their followers see Wolverine committing violence against the police or ICE, they assume they are heroes fighting for the people. They get arrested, and the writers and artists sit back and post another meme to inspire the next wave of followers.
My views might be divisive, and I might lose some people. That is a chance I am willing to take. If the left can stand up, voice their opinions, and call people names when they get pushback, then so can I. I won’t be calling anyone names. I will respect your opinion, even if it is the polar opposite of mine. All I ask is that if you comment, you do it in a way that allows for a civil discussion, not a shouting match where you call me a fascist and I have to block you.
Whichever side you fall on, I think we can agree that while the world gets colder and meaner, we can still find good stories to read. Turn off the news, turn off your phone, and find a good book or comic to enjoy. Do not get yourself in trouble thinking you are auditioning for the Avengers or the Justice League by interfering with law enforcement.
stephenhudler.com 
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