As most of you
probably know by now, yesterday we lost Stan Lee. Normally, when I speak about someone I have
not met I will refer to them by their last name but in this case I refer to him
by his first. After all, despite never meeting
him, to my mind, he was always just Stan.
To say that Stan
was a national treasure would be to drastically sell him short. He was a global treasure. His work touched the hearts and minds of
children of all ages, 3 - 3000, and all genders and races. Like any person, he was not perfect but he
was, it seems a good man.
I never met Stan
nor would I most likely ever have even if he was still with us, but never the
less, he has played a very important part in my life. I grew up in a very bad place enduring very
bad things and the universe that Stan created along with so many others offered
a hurting sad little boy, who's almost entire world was fear and pain, a place
to feel safe and even hopeful. I don't
think I am exaggerating when I say that Stan's work along with the many many other
talented people that have worked with him over the years are part of the reason
I am still alive. No matter how dark
things got, there was always that small flicker of hope off in the distance, and
some times, just that tiny flicker can makes all the difference. So, thank you, Stan. Thank you for all you have given us and all
the ripples in the water you made that will travel out through the centuries.
To close, here is
a copy of an edition of Stan's Soapbox.
This one has been popping up all over the internet since his passing but
I think, is shows a little insight into the man's character. While the views expressed are ones that show
of the man's character, it becomes absolutely extraordinary when you consider
that this was written in 1968 and was written in a book that, for the most
part, would be read by children. In 1968
there were a great deal fewer adults reading comics. It makes me wonder how many children read
this and had it stick with them throughout their life. Again, thank you, Stan.
"Let’s lay it right on the line. Bigotry
and racism are among the deadliest social ills plaguing the world today. But,
unlike a team of costumed super-villains, they can’t be halted with a punch in
the snoot, or a zap from a ray gun. The only way to destroy them is to expose
them — to reveal them for the insidious evils they really are. The bigot is an
unreasoning hater — one who hates blindly, fanatically, indiscriminately. If
his hang-up is black men, he hates ALL black men. If a redhead once offended
him, he hates ALL redheads. If some foreigner beat him to a job, he’s down on
ALL foreigners. He hates people he’s never seen — people he’s never known —
with equal intensity — with equal venom.
Now, we’re not trying to say it’s unreasonable
for one human being to bug another. But, although anyone has the right to
dislike another individual, it’s totally irrational, patently insane to condemn
an entire race — to despise an entire nation — to vilify an entire religion.
Sooner or later, we must learn to judge each other on our own merits. Sooner or
later, if man is ever to be worthy of his destiny, we must fill out hearts with
tolerance. For then, and only then, will we be truly worthy of the concept that
man was created in the image of God – a God who calls us ALL — His children.
Pax et Justitia, Stan."
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