Law, schmaw. This person would be strapped to a table in a lab someplace secret and studied by “top men” faster than you can say “Mutant Rights Act.”
Both the parents and child would probably just want to be normal, not “gifted”, and they’d surrender to a life of medical treatments and study.
They’d then be placed on expensive drugs to somehow suppress and control it, then go through life as a quasi-celeb, who still has to meet the daily demands of any middle-American lifestyle.
Yeah. True.
While the world Really Is still an amazing place… I’m guessing that they’d be the first to admit that some Tuesdays can suck even worse than Mondays…
Absolutely disagree. The U.S. still pays some attention to the Constitution.
I hanker to be the test case to demonstrate this! In my opinion, the worst that will happen to the guy who passes the James Randi paranormal challenge is that the IRS will leap on him and lien the prize money.
At the least, the unwanted attention from crazies (of all types) would become most likely unbearable very quickly. You are very naive, my friend.
But that’s already true for garden-variety celebrities.
As to naivete, guilty, but, at very least, the case is unproven that the government would make such persons disappear. You believe they would; I don’t.
We need a scientific test…
If you had some crazy super power, like the long sought for “remote viewing”, so you could use a pendulum and a map and locate submarines anywhere in the world, I’m pretty sure you would vanish. If your own government didn’t snatch you, a different one would.
Hell, just predicting future terrorist attacks (if you ever got one right) would probably be enough to have you disappear. I can see why super heroes keep quiet.
Report on the Barnhouse Effect
Stranger
Thanks for that. I don’t remember reading it before.
My suggestion: The Ming Vase
(Alas, it requires downloading, but it’s a scan of the original book)
I immediately thought of the Terry Schiavo (sp?) case while reading the OP, in anticipation of someone posting this type of response. Basically, a relatively low review court reminded the local lawmakers that a it’s unconstitutional to pass a law specifically for one person’s situation.
My point being that the law didn’t have to work it’s way very far before it was squashed. I suspect a law focusing on an Xmutant (or possibly even the category of Xmutants) wouldn’t get very far. Furthermore, passing or even organizing such regulation would be a quick way to piss off that category and I’d be reluctant to piss off a person or group that has beyond-human abilities.
I’d suspect the celebrity appearance circuit would be the first to come calling. Then such a person would be wise to use a nom de plume and obscure any links to his relatives and loved ones, lest nefarious people try to force his compliance by threatening those people he cares about.
–G!
Yeah, but they get so hot and itchy and sweaty inside:eek: – and it’s not like I can just toss it in the dumpster (and certainly not in my own garbage can) when it gets too gross.
Oh, woe is me for the terribly tragedy of having a difficult superhero costume.:dubious:
–G!
That’s why I wonder whether becoming a worldwide celebrity may be the best way to avoid this fate.
We’re talking about a guy who can lift cars and spin them around with nothing more than the power of his mind. Good luck forcing that guy into a lab if he doesn’t want to go.
I think fame would protect you (and would bring nice income from shows, TV appearances, etc…).
I don’t think you’d be dissapeared by the military. I don’t think they would necessarily feel they are the best equipped to study you, it’s not obvious at all that they would think you’re of any use (I’m not sure what a telekinetic power can do that a bomb or crane can’t), and if they wanted to study you anyway, they’re more likely to appeal to your patriotism or to offer money, I’d assume.
Bear in mind that the target doesn’t have to be alive to be studied. You’d probably learn more from a living subject, but then again, you don’t need the straps with a dead one. And if there’s one, there’ll be more. Better to study and contain them as forcibly as possible as soon as they appear.
see, this is how you make the Magneto-type of supervillain. And you’d have had it coming, Homo inferior!
If I could do the telekinesis in the OP, I would start some sort of cult.