Comic Book, No Laughing Matter
Radio Commentary, 90.7, 91.7 New Life FM, September 27, 2013 – By Sue Ella Deadwyler
Good morning, Jim. Comic books used to be leisure-time reading for children, but in 2012 a 153-page comic book became required reading for freshmen entering Georgia College and University at Milledgeville. The comic book is Persepolis, in honor of the capital of ancient Persia, now the country of Iran. The author of Persepolis was born and lived in Iran until she left for Vienna and Strasburg to study illustration. As a child playing “dress-up,” she posed as Che Guevara and Fidel Castro, two of her admired Marxist/Leninist heroes.
Page 70 reveals her rejection of God after her communist uncle was executed. In her own drawings and words, she said God asked her, “Marji, what seems to be the problem?” To that, she depicted herself gesturing and shouting to God, “Shut up, you! Get out of my life!!! I never want to see you again! Get out!”
The Oxonian Review of Books called Persepolis a tribute to contemporary Iran that was “humanized” by the author. It’s strange that humanization of Iran is so important that college-bound students are required to read a novel-length comic book whose main character rejected God, admired Che Guevara and Fidel Castro. Then described herself as “embarrassed” that her dad drove a Cadillac, a symbol of capitalism, which is despised by socialists and communists!Persepolis was adapted into an animated film, won a Cannes Film Festival Prize in 2007 and was nominated for an Academy Award in 2007. Despite that acclaim, its message contradicts the American form of government. So, perhaps Persepolis is used to reduce student objections to communism and socialism.
On September 20th, the world premiere of a play called “Third Country” opened at Atlanta’s Horizon theatre. Its subject is the refugee repopulation of Clarkston in DeKalb County. When interviewed about the production, the author said, “I could tell a simple black-and-white story about ‘closed-minded Southerners,’” which revealed her disdain for Americans who object to the high-jacking of their culture. So, her play emphasizes a different phase of resettlement.
No doubt, the play is an attempt to rationalize and legitimize the make-over of a small American town into a third-world refugee camp without consent of the residents. But this fact remains: There is a concerted effort to abolish American culture by repopulating the United States, without citizen consent. That’s totally UN-American and that’s their goal! For Georgia Insight I’m Sue Ella Deadwyler, your Capitol correspondent.