Friday, November 16, 2018

Day Of The Rabble-Rousers!


In early 1973, when the ongoing Vietnam War was inflaming our national discourse and inciting protests and even, at times, riots, two close acquaintances of the Sub-Mariner--Betty Dean (Prentiss) and his young cousin, Namorita--exemplified the political tug-of-war taking place between teenage children and their parents on the subject. And while Betty is merely acting as Nita's guardian while she attends college, it looks like these two have become examples of another conflict, one that carried over from the 1960s--a little something we used to call the Generation Gap.



In this back-and-forth, we may think we're seeing a completely different side of Betty, though we should remember that she grew to maturity in the 1940s, when America was drawn into World War II and the entire country and its population were united in common cause. The '60s, with its social turmoil and unrest, must have unsettled her quite a bit--and so she clings to values she's cherished for most of her life, never once questioning the actions of those who young people have taken to calling "the establishment." To her, the way to handle Nita's dilemma is simple: Trust in the time-tested practice of democracy to set things right.

Yet it's Nita who, through her time at college, is being exposed firsthand to new ideas and viewpoints as well as the rights granted by the First Amendment to express them. So when you put these two ladies together, with so many years between them, you have a perfect storm that pits the tried-and-true values espoused by Betty against the winds of change that Nita's social passion represents.



Already Betty and Nita aren't seeing eye to eye, nor can we at first glance make the right call here. While it's true that there indeed may have been no need for the police to step in, much less show up, a police presence had become standard procedure at this point in time whenever demonstrators appeared--and there was obviously a difference of opinion on what kind of behavior on either side was the catalyst for violent confrontation. Betty's sympathies appear to be with the authorities; but as for Nita's defense, we frankly don't know which side was responsible for causing things to get out of hand.

At any rate, it's a little amusing to see both Nita and Betty entrench themselves in their respective viewpoints--though Betty seems to be the dogmatic one casting aspersions without having all the facts. Come on, Betty, bend a little! Cut the kid some slack!



And just in case you think a former policewoman wouldn't think anything of a college having women on its faculty, well...



You'll notice that Namor has steered clear of this little dispute. A wise ruler knows when to retreat.

6 comments:

  1. If I lived in America I'd vote for the Democrats so I'm glad they took back the House of Representatives - which I suppose means Betty is right about trusting in democracy even if she does seem a bit reactionary :D

    Every Friday BBC Radio-4 broadcasts a show called 'Last Word' featuring obituaries of people who have recently died. Today's edition includes Stan Lee - on the 44th anniversary of me discovering Marvel comics :)

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  2. It would be interesting to know what Namor would have made of this.
    I think he would have told his cousin, "Protesters, the Establishment, Left, Right...these surface dwellers are all nuts, Nita."
    Personally, as an aging liberal, I admire her spunk! Fight the power, Namorita! Stick it to The Man.

    M.P., admitted non-conformist

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  3. Yes, Colin, the power of the vote isn't so bad, once you take the Electoral College out of the equation and let it work to its fullest. :D

    M.P., I'd imagine that Namor, who was out of circulation until the early 1960s thanks to Paul Destine, took a dim view of protest movements in the United States--no less so when he joined the Avengers and found himself the object of protesters' ire. I don't suppose someone who is part of a monarchy would be in favor of open dissent from their subjects--and if he were forced to choose between supporting Betty or Nita, it's difficult to say who he would sympathize with. (Though my guess is with Betty, since they both share vivid memories of the same America.)

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  4. Comicsfan, please don't remind me of the Electoral College.

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  5. Without the electoral college, presidential elections would be inevitably decided by a handful of large population centers (New York, several counties in California, the greater Chicago area, etc.). This would effectively leave the majority of states in our 50 state Union without a say in who their Commander in Chief is.

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  6. I can't say I agree with your reasoning on the issue, lordjim6, but I do appreciate your chiming in with your thoughts. :D

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