The American Way
According to AI: “Truth, Justice, and the American Way” is a phrase that represents American values of honesty, fairness, and freedom. It was (DC Comics) Superman's original slogan.”
Superman was a good guy, rooting out criminals and helping people in need. This has sadly become a lessor priority recently. We need more good people, we need Supercitizens.
What is the American Way? Pick a lens:
According to history, the United States is based in a two-part story of flight, from subjugation under authoritarian control, and fight, for individual freedom. And, it is a story of Manifest Destiny, the belief during the 19th-century that settlers were meant to expand westward across North America, and that this belief was both obvious and destined. In fact, we were so certain of this right that we usurped our vast nation from many prior resident nations. And our history is also the story of a great Melting Pot, boiling down immigrants from around the world into a somewhat homogeneous broth, tempered by the Constitution and based on our systems of law and economy. E Pluribus Unum: From many, one.
Immigrants were, and are, a principal and driving factor in America. Homogenizing such diverse groups is founded on, and still relies on, a basic American premise: equal opportunity. The American Way is meant to be inclusive; no one is excluded.
For that reason, Republican’s rabid assault on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion seems inconsistent with the American Way. It seems un-American even. Their every issue is founded on disparaging some special class, be it gays, transgender, teachers, murderous Mexicans, or pet-eating Haitians in Springfield.
The use and escalation of this tactic is highly problematic.
Justice
There seems to be an annoying and growing problem with justice across a broad spectrum. Increasingly, foot soldiers and worker bees are being prosecuted and sent to jail while ringleaders get off scot-free. What system of “justice” allows these kingpins to regain absolute power? What kind of “justice” fails to prosecute criminal masterminds and then allows them to overturn convictions for their lackeys? Or perhaps it is only fair that flunkies not suffer incarceration when their leader stays free? Regardless, nothing about it is just or honest.
Imbedded in the same concept of justice, the peaceful transfer of power is intrinsic to the American political pendulum. It has never seen a challenge like 2020. In spite of the organization of slates of fake electors in swing states, the production and delivery to Congress of fraudulent electoral certificates, and a violent assault on the certification proceedings including threats to hang the officiant, our country did not fall. But what has happened to our definition of justice? How could we allow the very underpinnings of our democracy to be shaken like a baby and then just sit back and allow it to happen again?
Truth
In the run-up to the 2024 election, the social media platform X and other conservative media influencers unleashed a torrent of faux concern for free speech absolutism. But free speech isn’t about truth. Their initiative was designed to counter efforts to moderate disinformation, especially to demonize any such efforts by the government as censorship. When viewed against the backdrop of Republican efforts to ban books and install revisionist histories in school curricula, it seems disingenuous. The effort was meant to protect lies.
A previous and now current president vexed fact checkers by lying over 30,000 times in his first term. Historian Eric Altman described him as “…the Frankenstein's monster of a political system that has not merely tolerated lies from our leaders, but has come to demand them,” and argued that “…the sheer volume of his mendacity, has destroyed the very idea of shared truth in American politics.”
Despite bans on propaganda, our government does lie, and mainstream media lies, and so alternative media must lie in return. Truth appears to be a victim of the modern age. Without truth or justice what will become of our American Way?
The 14th Amendment
It took our current president but one day to break his oath to uphold the Constitution of the United States. By executive order, he attempted to overturn birthright citizenship articulated in Section 1 of the Constitution’s 14th Amendment. It’s consistent with his focus on eradicating immigrants, diversity, equity, inclusion, non-binary care, healthcare, and the rest. But does it run deeper? Notably, Section 1 provides only that states shall not abridge citizens’ enumerated rights. It is silent on the federal executive power of the president.
On the other hand, Section 3 of the same amendment is known as the Insurrection Clause, which prohibits officers of the United States who have “…engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof” from holding further office.
You may recall that Special Prosecutor Smith declined to pursue charges of insurrection. But without access to his withheld report, we can’t know how close he came. Perhaps someone, eventually, will assess whether the J-6 pardons constitute “aid or comfort” to “enemies” - some of whom were convicted of seditious conspiracy, and subsequently released.
Given the current lack of adherence to the Truth, and a disdain for Justice, one may rightly wonder if the assault on the 14th Amendment has even greater implications for the future of our American Way. For instance, the GOP House is introducing a bill to enable a third term for this president.
We need more Supercitizens who are willing to define, uphold, and defend Truth, Justice, and the American Way.
Or someone else will.
Comments by Readers
Riley Sweeney
Jan 27, 2025Superman, an immigrant himself, who brings his native abilities from his homeland to serve in American community. His story was created by Jewish children of immigrants and implores us to help each other. A fitting reminder of what the American dream can and should be.
George Dyson
Jan 27, 2025Also, worth remembering that for his day job, Superman was a journalist.