It’s all over the web now. Good’ol Captain America dies at the end of his most recent comic. The method of his death? Supposedly a simple sniper shot. BOOM! Just like that, and he’s gone.

There’s so much talk about it out there, and so many complaints. Have many of us taken the time to analyze the death of Captain America? To compare it to what is happening in the real world?

Let me begin by using the all-popular list approach:

• The U.S…
• …is spying on their own citizens
• …is torturing prisoners
• …has removed habeas corpus permanently
• …has removed posse comitatus
• …is starting today’s wars
• …is detaining prisoners not due to evidence, but on whims
• …is limiting free speech to “free speech zones”
• …is censoring and/or editing public information, e.g. climate change
• …and on, and on…

If ever there was a time for Captain America to die, now is that time. Captain America is something of a personification of the ideals of the U.S. He stood up for everything that is supposed to represent this country.

This is not merely the death of a comic book character, this is a symbol. It is a wake up call, and it is the most poignant way that these artists can not only protest what is happening to the U.S., but also to draw attention to the throes of the United States.

Think about the incredible message that these artists are trying to get across, and what it is that they must be feeling.

~Steph

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