The Marvel comic book franchise has created a lineup of larger-than-life heroes who, although saddled with shortcomings and foibles, constantly and sometimes successfully, battle evil villains who display decidedly human characteristics. Among the cast of characters is a being called “Hate-Monger” (Fantastic Four Vol 1 #21), published December 1963, who embodies the soul of Adolf Hitler and is able to transfer from one body to another. More a spirit than physical, when an inhabited body is destroyed, Hate-Monger simply jumps to another one.
Use of a “hate ray” promotes bigotry and fear that is difficult to contain, affecting everyone including the protagonist Fantastic Four and SHIELD operatives. The story line follows successful attempts to kill bodies inhabited by Hate-Monger, but the essence simply moves on to another unfortunate victim. The message is clear… although hate can be blocked or conquered in a particular instance, it has a tendency to re-emerge with the same intent in another form. Accordingly, Hitler’s legacy lives on through a variety of surrogates.
The current environment of the greater Tri-City area is relatively peaceful following turmoil, especially in Fremont when faced with a decision of where to locate a Housing Navigation Center. However, Hate-Monger is about to surface once again as we enter another tumultuous season preceding primary and general elections. California has moved its 2020 primary election to Tuesday, March 3, approximately five months away. Already, battle lines are being drawn for municipal and regional offices. With a probable nasty national election on the horizon, local politics can also succumb to base instincts and accusations. Let’s hope Hate-Monger appearances are either non-existent or extremely rare at least on the local scene.
Although difficult to achieve, political contests should concentrate on policy issues that are meaningful to the electorate. Voters are poorly served when arguments mask irrelevant factors such as appearance or ethnicity. As we approach a heated primary season that is unusually early, it will be telling if rhetoric veers toward prejudice or concentrates on issues vital to the well-being of our communities. Some contests involve positions that are so close to the electorate that little additional explanation or job description is necessary. However, some positions in our government are less visible and require more than simply name recognition to earn voters’ confidence.
For example, it appears that there will be hotly contested races for some county supervisor seats. Although some supervisory decisions are well publicized, because the position manages a broad area and multiple jurisdictions, much of what happens at the county level is removed from everyday life and unknown to the average citizen. This is the consequence of a hierarchical political structure that, by necessity, incrementally involves a greater and greater number of voters and therefore, removed from local scrutiny. The only remedy for this abdication of oversight is constant dissemination of information to the electorate. If this is missing, there is little to weigh at the polls.
As always, Tri-City Voice will endeavor to keep our readers informed of the accomplishments of those in office and provide nonpartisan information for voters as elections approach. The antithesis of Hate-Monger is distribution of all points of view, allowing readers to judge for themselves.