Lately I’ve been taken with watching the two X-Men movies when I’ve nothing better to do. I used to do the same thing with Spider-Man, but after the n^th^ viewing I’ve gotten almost all the lines memorized and all I want to do is watch the sequel anyhow. Right now though, it’s the X-Men, and I keep finding more to like in them every time.

Last night, while watching the first movie yet again I was struck by Senator Kelly’s impassioned speech to the Senate in the first part of the film. Specifically this bit:

I think the American people deserve the right to decide if they want their children to be in school with mutants, to be taught by mutants.

I thought to myself, “That sounds awful familiar, doesn’t it self?”

We all know that the mutations of X-Men are simply exciting and fanciful depictions of nearly any lifestyle outside the mainstream of society be it homosexuality, nerdiness, plant fuckers, whatever. It’s a lot more interesting when these outcasts can shoot lasers or fly or read minds.

Not too long ago the Republican candidate for Senate here in the Palmetto State Jim DeMint said that if teachers were “openly gay. [He] did not think they should be teaching in a public school.” No really, he said that. I only changed the pronoun.

(That’s not all. He also said unmarried pregnant women were unfit to teach children. No, I’m serious.)

Yes indeed. Folks running for office, federal office no less, still manage to say insane shit like you might read in a comic book.