By Alan Singer
Superman (aka Clark Kent), born Kal-El on the planet Krypton, was an undocumented immigrant to the United States after his home planet exploded. His spaceship landed in Smallville, Kansas where he was informally adopted by Jonathan and Martha Kent who passed him off as their own child and as a native-born American citizen. After his origin story and super-powers became public, Superman was granted honorary citizenship by fictional President Dwight Eisenhower and Congress.
As a super-hero, Superman fought for “Truth, Justice and the American Way” until the April 2011 issue of Action Comics No. 900 when he renounced his United States citizenship before the United Nations. He declared “Truth, justice and the American way – it’s not enough anymore. The world’s too small. Too connected.” The Man of Steel explained he was “tired of having my actions construed as instruments of U.S. policy.” This happened during the initial Tea Party/MAGA wave when Donald Trump was busy lying about President Obama’s citizenship and right to hold office. After making this decision, Superman changed his motto to “truth, justice and a better tomorrow.”
In 1976, while he was still a U.S. citizen, Superman celebrated the birth of the country with a DC Comics Bicentennial special issue. In a 1987 a special issue commemorating the 200 anniversary of the U.S. Constitution, Superman traveled back in time to prevent a plot by his arch-nemesis Lex Luthor to steal the Constitution and declare himself dictator. But in 2026, Superman and DC Comics have no plan to participate in the Semi-Quincentennial of the Declaration of Independence, possibly because Donald Trump looks and acts so much like Lex Luther wearing an orange wig. Superman is joining other celebrities who have canceled appearances at Trump 250 festivities.
Alan Singer is the director of Secondary Education Social Studies Teaching Learning Technology at Hofstra University and the author of Class-Conscious Coal Miners. Blogs, tweets, essays, and interviews present his views and not those of the university.
Source: Daily Kos