Democrat Robert Garcia made a curious decision. The politician decided to take the oath of office not only over the U.S. Constitution but underneath it will appear three documents that, he confirmed on his Twitter feed, have significant sentimental value: a photograph of his parents, whom he lost during the coronavirus pandemic, his citizenship certificate and Superman #1, the first volume of the Man of Steel:
Will be proudly sworn-in to Congress on the U.S. Constitution. Underneath the Constitution will be 3 items that mean a lot to me personally. A photo of my parents who I lost to covid, my citizenship certificate & an original Superman #1 from the @librarycongress. 🇺🇸😊 pic.twitter.com/YGW43OLsIp
— Robert Garcia (@RobertGarcia) January 3, 2023
"Comic books have created the best characters in American fiction"
The California Democrat's love of comic books is nothing new. For him, they are an important treasure in the nation's culture, and he defended more than once his love for superhero tomes. In 2021, he did so via Twitter, assuring that these books managed to create the best characters in national fiction:
I’ve always been a huge comics fan and in fact credit comics for helping me learn to read and write English. Comics have created the best characters in American fiction. When I think about my favorite runs/eras when I was younger here’s the first four that come to mind: pic.twitter.com/lCMhiK3eie
— Robert Garcia (@RobertGarcia) October 10, 2021
His enthusiasm for the vignettes reappeared on the social network in mid-2022. On Nov. 14, the California representative-elect walked into the Library of Congress and discovered he could check out as many comics as he wanted:
Ok y’all I’m freaking out. This is the Congressional members reading room in the Library of Congress. I can pull any comic book from what is the largest public comic collection in the country and read them here. Let’s go! pic.twitter.com/SyIrCvHkfT
— Robert Garcia (@RobertGarcia) November 14, 2022
Criticism of his hobby
That he is a lover of cartoons did not sit well with many people. Tweets such as that the walls of his Washington office would have comic book wallpaper or that he would start the first comic book caucus raised criticism from many:
One thing is clear, when you walk into my new congressional office in Washington DC, there will be comics artwork on the walls.
— Robert Garcia (@RobertGarcia) November 19, 2022
Listen, not sure if there’s any comic book nerds in Congress but I plan on starting the comics caucus.✌🏽
— Robert Garcia (@RobertGarcia) November 9, 2022
Robert Garcia describes himself on his Twitter feed as a Comic Book Nerd and to all those who criticized his fondness for comic books, he sent a message when he was elected to the House of Representatives in November, as the New York Post recalled:
For all of you upset that I still read comics and suggesting that I need to do more serious reading…..um…….anyone who understands comics knows that comics are an essential part of American fiction. And the lessons learned are invaluable. It’s serious shit.
— Robert Garcia (@RobertGarcia) November 14, 2022
