CIVIL WAR

     Nope. This is not about the war which took place between 1861 - 1865. Nor, at least in the beginning, is it about a real war in time and space. Rather, it is about a civil war in the world of the graphic novels, as comics are now called. And actually, it involves two universes - that of Marvel and less well known, that of DC, perhaps an even stronger presentation, and even extends into the world of cinema. Whether it extends into our world? That is another train of thought to be addressed - and seriously, too.
     Big hype going on about the movie opening this weekend - Civil War and great trailers with Ironman and Captain America, Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman, but the question underneath remains the same. It is a question of law and order vs. justice at any cost. When the world seems to be dissolving in front of us, do we fight back no holds barred, or do we fight following the rules, no matter that the other side is not. One side might have what appears to be the right on its side, yet the other side is winning due to its ruthless at any cost approach. Simplification, but there it is.
     Then there is the question of collateral damage. How much damage is acceptable in the name of fighting a war. How much damage can a city take while superheroes rage in the streets and skies. Now, lest all of you think I am losing my mind, babbling about comics and what the hell do they have to do with life - well, here it is in a  snapshot. The original heroes of Superman et al were drawn and created by two little Jewish guys who needed heroes, in a time when the world needed heroes, and suddenly here they were, representing the values of America and believe it or not, of Judaism and its ethics. People then grew up on these values and internalized them.
     Today it seems that the doubts which plague all of us have entered the graphic novels and they plague the heroes as well, Are they right or wrong in what they do, in how they carry out their roles in life? Should they be under the control of others, especially when we all know how bureaucracy works! And then other questions and topics of society enter into all comic strains. For example, did you ever think that Jughead would give up Ethel and declare himself asexual or that there would be a gay character, Kenny, in Archie, or even that Archie would morph into a different look (actually very similar in looks to the old Modern Romance comic book men). So sometimes, there is a lot more to comics than one might think.
     The questions that are evolving in these books are no different from the ones that are in real life and sometimes it is hard to figure out who first truly addressed the problem and brought it out into the public eye, the public mind, but they are questions of great import. Now just turn to our political calendar of events. Cruz held on but he has now withdrawn and that man that was a joke in the beginning will now become the ostensible Republican candidate for president of the USA. Good grief! Hair and all! Is this someone we can see representing us to the world, engaging in diplomacy and yes, many times diplomacy is filed with hypocrisy and perhaps he would cut through some of that but then again, on one day he says x and then the next it is y and then back to a and who knows for the day after. He would be quite unsteady and you know, those shows on TV like Colony and other political apocalyptic shows do not seem so sci - fi anymore, do they,frighteningly so. Even the questions posed in the "zombie" shows are not really about zombies but about how we react, as a society and as individuals, to the violent and sudden end to our society and how do we rebuild - or do we?
     Now go one step further and ask if the  formal Republican party will actually support this man or will they leave him alone in his own morass? Will many of their voters turn Democrat in their voting this election? And the campaign? Well, hang on to your hats and everything else, for this will be a truly vicious all out campaign with lots of nasty stuff. Will anyone be able to stand above the fray, hold out for the "right" way as opposed to no holds barred? I do not know and do not blame them, for it is difficult to stand there and get garbage thrown in one's face and then not fight back - on the same level. Not necessarily genteel, but what seems to be necessary.
     So....civil war? Will the great cracks that seem to be developing and going deeper within our society go even further? Will there be violence at rallies? Already have been, so this is not out of left field? And oh, dear G-d in Heaven- what if Trump were to win? Where does one even go to escape the damage to the world and its peace. There is no place. And if one asks about Sanders, well, he is just as divisive as Trump. His ideas are too extreme and unrealistic. It is the flaming liberal beliefs of the eighteen year old, not the wise ones of a 74 year old, tempered by life and reality. So, people, as much as Hillary Clinton is not the ideal candidate, as if there ever were such a one, even so - there appears to be no choice other than to vote her in. At least there is sanity and stability. At least there is experience. We have just come off eight years with an inexperienced "leader" and we are in a mess for that so we must learn from that error, vote with the head, not the anger at the mess we have in society, in the world.
     Civil War? Yes, interestingly so in the comics, frighteningly realistic, but let us avoid it within the society within which we live. The alternative is frightening indeed. Too frightening to truly comprehend. And if you think that such a thing could never happen, do not doubt. There have been too many instances of violence and rebellion within the American society from Shay's Rebellion to the equivalent of the Free State of Jones (and yes, the movie is based on real events) to Prohibition to the violence of many of the anti-choice adherents to the 1968 campaign and convention and on and on. I could troll the history books for more, but the point is clear - we need to proceed carefully, thoughtfully, peacefully. Keep tempers under control and plan well for the future, plans that will help us overcome the problems and issues that now divide and threaten us. Difficult, but doable, if we would all but try.