Words Are Super

Words are powerful. They can cause pain, sorrow, anger, happiness, comfort, anger, strife, stress, frustration, and run the gambit of emotions. Words can, in a way heal and kill. When hurting, a gently spoken word can heal our distress. They can harm our reputation, lead to conflicts, fighting, and even to war.

Words have no power of their own. They create laws, governments, relationships, create worlds within books, and they transmit information about the world around us.  The power is not in them but the receiver. We hear, or read these bits of information, we process that information, and our brain then sends out a response. How we respond is often the result of programming we received from other prior communications. For example: when I was growing up, I was told not to use curse words. However, dad used curse words every day. Somehow, these words I heard my dad speak were wrong for me. The first word I spoke was a cuss word. But yet if I spoke like dad, I was punished. As I grew older, those words were taboo; off-limits. Talk about a double standard.

Let me be clear; I hate censorship. It can stifle the creativity of the artist. I think of all the hell Lenny Bruce went through and it pisses me off. We have been programmed from a child to believe that certain words are wrong to use. George Carlin spoke of this in his Seven Words bit. There are no "bad words" only context.

Comics had the "Comics Code Authority." A committee became the moral compass for the readers. After all, kids did not receive proper home training, and adults were too stupid to know right from wrong. So we needed to be told. Talk about bullshit.

Still, to this day, people are afraid of certain words. They believe, by hearing, or reading these words, they corrupted their minds. Spoken words are no more than vibrations of air that our mind's interpretation. When we read words, our brain comprehends the text based on what it has learned. We are a product of conditioning and programming. Few have either the skills of critical or forward-thinking. Schools are factories that pump out programmed robots that dare not question authority.

It is my personal opinion that comic books should encourage critical thinking. We need to question authority. Preachers, tell you you not to lie and steal while lying and stealing. That is just one example of the double standards in our society. From the outhouse to the White House, everyone it seems lies and steals. That is where comics should come in and say, You have a hero within. Stand up to these villains and fight for truth and fairness.

Comic books to me tell more than just a good story. They have [or should] a message that inspires us to make a stand. When we see injustice, we need to fight against it. We can't be a Frank Castle and turn our streets into War Zones. But we can be heroes. Why do superheroes exist? Because the authorities and laws are not enough. Our cities and towns need people unafraid to stand up and be counted. Superheroes do exist in our world. They may not wear a cape and a mask, but they do exist. You can find them in hospitals, schools, outreach programs, and average Joes walking the streets.

Be inspired and tap into your superpower. You may not be able to fly or swing from a "web." But you can make a difference. The power to do extraordinary things lies within ordinary people.