CNS News reports that the pleasure police in some Australian schools have banned superheroes, for the good of the children.

At least a dozen centers for pre-school children in the city of Melbourne this week declared that they have been practicing a "superhero-free" policy, saying that dressing up as characters like Superman and the Incredible Hulk encouraged children to be aggressive. [...]

Mayor Bill Baarini was quoted as saying it was often the less assertive children who were the victims of aggressive behavior by their role-playing peers.

So superheroes cause violence. Nevermind that every DC comics story seems to have a moral message for children. I grew up watching the Justice League, who always had those dopey "look both ways before crossing the street" messages at the end of every show. It's hard to believe that they could be accused of promoting violence.

Actually, I think the issue mostly has to do with the anti-war peacenik crowd. Cartoon and comic superheroes fight villians. They profess that there is evil in the world, and that evil should be stopped through the use of force. That goes against what the anti-war morons stand for.

If the comics were written by the anti-war crowd, Superman wouldn't stop Lex Luthor, but would instead try to figure out what he did to make Lex turn to a life of crime. Rather than being stopped Luthor would be pacified and appeased, in the hope that he would stop being evil. Thankfully, kids would never read such mindless drivel. Well, at least not yet.