I gave this speech during a speech competition a year ago. I lost. But I still think its a pretty good speech 

                                                                                                                 -Alan Tong  

This weekend, I walked into a comic book shop nd I watched grown men play the magic trading card game. They played D&D. Yep D&D. They talked about Star Trek and took turns insulting each other in Klingon and Romulan.

It was fun and it brought back some memories of my own background. I am a comic book nerd and I’ve grown up with the idea of heroes. I am convinced, everything I need to know, I have learned from comic.

I am going to tell you a little about comic books. I am going to talk to you about heroes. I think in this day and age where people are so bitter and cynical about almost everything, we need to believe in heroes and heroism. They have a lot that they can teach us. Ladies and gentlemen WE NEED HEROES

Since I was a little boy, I have wanted to be Spiderman. Why do like I like to Spiderman? Well it’s certainly not the red and blue tights.

I have never had an Uncle Ben, but the phrase “With Great Power comes Great Responsibility” really stuck with me Because it’s absolutely true. Too many people pursue power and ignore the responsibilities that come with it. It’s true in the comic book world and it’s true in the real world.

No one here has Spider powers but each and everyone of us in this room has the power to make the world be a better place. And I think each and everyone of us has the RESPONSIBILITY to do just that. That’s what I believe. That is Heroism

Let me read a phrase to you “Strive to heal through the open hand, rather then hammer home solutions through the closed fist. Show the world that only through respect for our diversity can we hope to come together.”

This is something Professor X said in the X Men comics. Its an idea that has stayed with me for many, many years.

Accept, respect and love the people around you. No matter how different they may be. Its not as easy as it sounds. If you can do that, that is HEROISM..

I think songs are modern day poetry. To me the lyrics of a song make or break it. Let me to read to you the lyrics of  song.

Superman never made any money. Savin’ the world from Solomon Grundy.

Sometimes I despair that the world will never see another man…like him.

Hey Bob, Supe had a strange job, even though he could smash through any bank in the united states, well he had the strength but he would not

In 1992, Superman died. The song I read dates back to that year and is a funeral dirge for him.

Why did that happen? He was Superman. He could have lived a very comfortable life. But no…he was dedicated to service and self sacrifice. That’s what the S on his chest stood for. That’s why he was a Superman. To me Service and Self Sacrifice is heroism.

Tonight I have quite possibly done several things.

A)    I have shown you that I am a huge dork

B)     I should stop thinking about men in tights

C)    Maybe, just maybe I have shown you that its okay to believe in heroes and heroism.

Look the past fact that comics books are often about men in tights and women fighting evil in sexy, revealing lingerie. Comics have ideas worth believing in. Responsibility. Respect and love of your fellow human beings. Service and self sacrifice. These are things I believe in. These are things, comics books taught me.