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.