- By Lois Lane
Metropolis. For five long years the world has stared into the sky, waiting, hoping and praying for his return. We’ve spent our days asking where he went, debating why he left and wondered is he even alive. Perhaps he left us for another world, a world in peril, a world in greater need of a saviour. Is it selfish desire him for ourselves? Are we expected to share the man we’ve come to love or did we do something wrong?
Did we take him for granted? Perhaps we did. Maybe we all did, it's not our fault. We are far from super. Yet a mother will accept her children regardless of their misfortunes. Why have you rejected us for ours? Perhaps we’re a lost cause unworthy of help and doomed to continue on a path of self-destruction. He has moved on, helping others with a foreseeable future of peace and harmony.
From the first day he mysteriously appeared we were enamoured. He seemed too good to be true. A man who could fly, see through walls, bend steel with his bare hands. A man who never lied. A man who could do anything he wanted to yet he chose to be a hero. He chose to fight for truth, justice and the American way, And we chose to believe. we put our faith, not in the hands of God, but in the hands of another Lives were not saved by any kind of divine intervention, miracle or act of God. they were saved by one man, and one man only, our Superman. We didn’t question his intentions and other than a few basic facts we didn't question his unbelievable origins. When did he actually arrive? Where did he live? Where did he get that suit? It didn't matter. He was good, and good for us and that was enough.
A new generation of children have grown up idolising this hero, proud to wear a cape and run around the family home. We welcome Superman into our homes and family. He was a quintessential American. A role model for our children and the guardian of their lives. Does a hero walk out on his family? Walk away from his children? After letting us place our hopes on him, his disappearance must be seen nothing short of abandonment. A dereliction of duty. No better that a parent abandoning a child, a doctor walking out on their patient. We must ask our selves if Superman returned would we welcome him back? Could he heal the scars he left behind? The city is in pain, its citizens angry, hurt and unforgiving. We have learned from our bad judgement, and we are not prepared to make the same mistake again.
It would take more than one man to reunite the people. He is lost our trust, he betrayed us. He turned his us back on us and walked away. We would have to question his motives for his return. Why after all this time he would return? From the very beginning we labelled him as a man. We even used the word it his titled - Superman.
Yet he was not a man. He was not even human. We expected an alien to share the same feelings, emotions, beliefs and principles. Were the words truth and justice a second language to him? Perhaps, we were fools to believe he would understand the true meaning of words such as trust, loyalty or love.
What is a hero anyway? Does one has to have superpowers, special abilities or incredible talent to be a considerable one? Well that's what we’ve been led to believe. Superman led us to forget our real heroes. What happened to the firemen, policemen, teachers, social workers or local figure that used to be considered a hero in our communities?
Each and every day of the year, firemen come to the rescue of those in need. They are brave woman and men who serve communities with courage and uncompromising devotion to humanity. These people are not just doing their job, they are the heroes who take each task to heart and each life saved is a victory for their team. Because of their selfless bravery and heroism, many fire-fighters sacrifice their own lives to save others every day. Their actions will never been forgotten.
In cities, towns and villages around the world, legions of teachers spend every day protecting the minds, souls and spirits of children. They commit their lives to the development of the world’s most precious resource. A child's mind thirsts for knowledge. It is this knowledge, the knowledge imparted to the youth that has given rise to the great man and women of history. Knowledge gave birth civilisations and is the foundation of nations including America. Teachers strive daily with little recognition to help each child become the best they can. Teachers are heroes, our future lies in their hands. These are examples of every day men and women. Men and women who are heroes.
Superman was not just a hero. Superman was a superhero. Why isn’t he living up to his name? He was so much more that a mere mortal. Imagine a future with this superhero. A future that was stolen from us. The world welcomed Superman with open arms and why wouldn't we? Day after day we saw the effect he was having. Crime plummeted, natural disasters were prevented, the impossible became possible. What was more remarkable and often overlooked, was that he wasn't just saving peoples lives, he was changing them.
He gave us hope, he set an example and over the years we started following that example whether we realised it or not. Wars stopped, all political, religious feuds set aside, even volunteering and charitable donations increased. For the first time in history we saw the closest thing mankind could call peace. And to think it took an alien to show us what it meant to be human. Unfortunately the one thing that reduces a miracle to the mundane is a world full of them. Once everything is special, nothing is special. In a world where he would suddenly appear to save someone from a fire or divert a flood, there were no miracles. We stopped looking both ways to cross the street. We didn't have to because if a car was about to hit us odds were that he would zip at the last moment and save us. Soon we didn't even remember how to look both ways. We lost our survival instincts. We became careless, which wouldn't have really been a problem, but then he left.
Just as mysteriously he appeared he was gone, without warning, without explanation. We looked to the sky and for the first time in years no one was there. Some panicked thinking the worst had finally come to pass and someone has finally discover a weakness and exploited it. Others held steadfast believing that his sudden absence must have a logical explanation. Perhaps this was a test. Maybe he was watching from above and gauging our reaction. Hundreds, if not thousands of ideas and theories sprang from every expert and government official but no answer could satisfy us. Maybe there was no answer. Maybe he’s just…gone.
In fact maybe it’s better that he is gone. How can we be expected to appreciate the good without the bad? Through suffering do we not gain strength? Having relied on an almost omnipotent saviour for years, we’ve forgotten how to rely on ourselves. He gave us strength, but with it, weakness. In his absence, we must learn to unite and find strength in one another. We must look not to the skies, instead we must look inside ourselves to find trust, love and friendship for one another. Peace is our champion, not a Man of Steel. Alas crime has skyrocketed, stocks plummeted and old wars have been rekindled. The peace he inspired over the years, seemed to end overnight, replaced by fear,, confusion and betrayal. Even worse problems once held by our own, now seem insurmountable without his help.
It is one year today that we witnessed one of the worst train disaster in recent history. Among the 236 dead, were 28 school children and a pregnant mother. The nation's press release said that all that was left was a mangled mess of metal and bodies. Recovery workers and civilians united and worked around the clock, in the hope of finding just one survivor, if any. But hope was given up, when 12 hours later they could raise no sound. The train left a huge gorge in the suburban landscape where now stands a tribute to those who died in the wreckage. Among those attending today’s memorial service, is the husband and father of a deceased mother and their unborn child. To this day he is haunted by the memories of the past. Through his suffering he speaks the voice of many Americans: How could he let this happen? Curse you Superman...
These words echo amongst the people, reaching the far corners of the globe. In five years we have seen the oceans rise and kill hundreds of thousands of innocent men, women and children throughout Asia. We have seen civil wars destroy cities throughout the world and religious feuds wipe our nations. Let the colour of Superman’s cape remind us of the innocent people who have died for it is their blood that is on his hands.
In the past we have turned to God, in times of need we prayed. For five years we have prayed for you Superman, “please bring back our Messiah.” The nation knelt before the alter and begged for your return. We were blinded by your arrival, our faith misguided. For many of us, Superman became our God. We only had to read the motto on our nations currency to be reminded of the truth – In God We Trust.
These words passed between our hands countless times a day, yet we still managed to forget. We put our trust, not in God, but in Superman – In Superman We Trust. We trusted you, we all trusted you…I trusted you. Does he feel remorse, guilt or shame? Does he simply not care? Perhaps the people of Earth are but a distant memory, a single snapshot lost in a mind that is timeless.
Does he cry for the children who have died on his watch? Perhaps he really is a Man of Steel – cold, emotionless and hardened by his own immortality. Would he say sorry?
Ultimately we are better off without him. It is true, we will come to endure hardship in his absence. We will see more famine, environmental disasters, crime, wars and bloodshed. But what is also true, is that the people of America will always, without falter, and without abandoning their posts, continue to strive for truth, justice and the American way.
Leaving the fate of humanity in the hands of one man would have been a terrible mistake. If we don’t learn to settle our grievances on our own we are doomed anyway. We became dependent on someone unreliable, in fact he did us a favour by leaving. Now we can learn to fend for ourselves, learn to work out our differences regardless of whether they are based on race, creed, gender or political view.
Ultimately we will unite and establish peace around the globe. If Superman had stayed we would never accomplish this. Under the surface there would have remained traces of a corrupt society, a seed that would grow if it wasn’t for Superman’s cape blocking the sunlight. Now that he is gone, the seed is left to grow, yet there is hope. For like a rose, we always see the thorns before the flower. We will blossom and when we do, we will have done it alone, we will have a world united.
People have always longed for God, messiahs and saviours to swoop down from the sky and deliver them from their troubles but in the end these saviours always leave and we are faced with the same troubles that were here from the beginning. We wait for our saviour’s return though it will never happen and we realise it was better had he never come at all.
Source: Why the World Does Not Need Superman
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I caught Superman Returns on HBO for the second time and was deeply intrigued by the article that won Lois Lane the Pulitzer Prize - Why the World doesn't need Superman.
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And being the perfect geek, I googled that and chanced upon this excellent piece of writing above. I tried to find the original article and this is probably the closest one.
I know its very lengthy but it's a good read.
For those who have not watched the movie before, this article was written by Lois Lane, after Superman abandoned everything and disappeared into oblivion. He left, the world and his love alike, without a word. That prompted her to come up with this award winning article on why the world really, doesnt need Superman (in a fit of pique likely).
Do spend some time reading it and feel free to share your thoughts.
Like all superhero stories, they are probably written with escapism, and realism as the reigning thoughts.
Do we humans all turn to the supernatural or a religion when there are things beyond our control? Is that the convenient way out of seeking asylum and yet appearing sane to our peers?
This time round, all comments are most welcome. =)
