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The Marvel Civil War
alonelyargonaut:
right on. but to play devils advocate what they're doing jepordizes our natural rights and places us in an excess level of danger. if there were government regulations put on them (and i'm not talking that they need to come out to the public, but at least have a confidential government registry of heroes).
If the registration were aimed to maintain the heroic anonymity in the public eye, and to lay down regulations on proper training, and team building in order to insure civilian safety (similar to what the X-Men have in place), would your opinion change? I mean at its core the government registry would be aimed at keeping track of them incase one goes rogue and there is the necessity of neutralizing the potential threat.
As I said, under what Marvel has laid out in the SRA I am personally against it, because I am willing to say that certain sacrifices need to be made. But now that i write that sentence and look at it, it suddenly sounds a whole lot like the removal of public freedoms in the name of terrorist hunting. We allowed the government to move secretly and violate laws laid in an almost vigilante style in order to ensure safety.
MatticusPrime:
The problem I have with that is the level of potential corruption associated with it. Let's say that Government Official A wants something done, and looks up the registry to find the most suitable super powered being for the job. GOA can then force the mutant to do the job and keep quiet with the threat of government force behind him. If the mutant says anything, well then he's clearly a mutant terrorist and part of "the enemy" and the government -- who would clearly be acting only with the safety of its citizens in mind -- would swoop in and save the day, so to speak.
The problem with saying things like "excess level of danger" is that there really would be no way to objectively measure the danger any particular mutant poses. Where do we draw the line? Bodily harm? Does a papercut count as the same "level" of danger as a broken bone? What about death? I mean, non-mutants are very capable of causing death but it's not actually a requirement for a person in America to be registered unless he chooses to be (thus far!), and certainly not in the way this registration thing would work.
Jimmy the Squid:
You can't have a registry for people who were born different! Sure you guys register handguns but I don't think it's really the same thing. To quote the first X-Men movie:
--- Quote ---Jean Grey: I think that's an unfair question, Senator Kelly, afterall the wrong person behind the wheel of a car can be dangerous.
Kelly: Well we do license people to drive.
Jean Grey: yes but not to live.
--- End quote ---
Also you're making the mistake of assuming that all mutants/super powered people are out to save or destroy the world! What about the people who just want to live their lives like normal people? Should there be a database with their names and addresses too? And how can you guarantee that it would be confidential? Nothing stays a secret forever, and everyone knows that there are people who would take advantage of having the names and addresses of mutants.
alonelyargonaut:
fair enough. like i said, i remain relatively in the middle on this situation. because i am a really liberal guy i am more for the rights of the mutants to remain secretive. now if they are actively vigilantes i can understand the necessity for some form of regulation or control, because suddenly their powers are weapons.
I just like playing devil's advocate because it's sparked the first really intelligent debate i've seen on Civil War (and i totally ghost my way around a few other message boards). That and being a former Poli-Sci major (and still interested in eventually finding my way into politics, being able to debate intelligently a fictitious issue is really interesting.
Now here's another thought. We have special schools or classes integrated in public schools for the blind, for the deaf, and for those with mental challenges. This isn't meant to discriminate. It's aimed at teaching them techniques of how to become a quality citizen around their disorders/differences. What if the government were to work with Charles Xavier on an initiative to bring about at least some required learning for mutants?
The thing that worries me is that when a mutants ability manifests itself at adolescense it is usually a very violent manifestation, followed by this overwhelming awe of the fact that they have powers (some to creat flashing lights, others that could level city blocks). I feel that there would need to be some necessary guidance, maybe not military/combat training, but at least some level of schooling to help them learn to control/curb their powers.
I think the SRA would make more sense if it was aimed at only those who intended to work as vigilantes. I mean, we're talking people who have made the conscious decision that yes, their powers are weapons, weapons for good, weapons to protect. Now once that conscious line is crossed (and that is different than a self defense use of powers) there needs to be some form of regulation/training in order to ensure the safety of civilians. I mean these are basically just barroom brawls with tactical nukes. I think if they were to work with the Avengers (a policing organization recognized by the UN, and therefore required to follow their stringent policies) or with Charles Xavier and his X-Men there would be a lot stronger of a following behind this sort of legislation. But when it comes down to what has happened in Civil War, yeah I agree with you guys, the registration act is a bit of an overstep.
superwill:
I think that they should register if they decide to don a mask and fight crime or if they decide to publically use their powers to help the labor force (such as a superstrong person in construction). However, this registration should be kept confidential to protect the safety of the heroes and their families. It's already been stated that villains would not register, which is a given, but then you have to take into account those who never fight evil. Take Colossus for example: He never had any intentions to fight crime. He was content to use his powers to help his family on their farm. Granted, he did eventually fight crime, but had he never joined the X-Men, then he never would have begun to publically use his powers, and would not need to register should the legislation pass. Of course, the registration should not require the superhuman to join a team of superheroes; many have been doing just fine on their own.
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