When I was growing up, there were great superheroes. They were nothing like the superheroes of today who use amazing technology to defeat intergalactic threats.

Mighty Mouse, Underdog and Captain America used a combination of brute strength and brains to set wrong to right. They also had a sense of humor, something lacking from today’s cyber-robotic creations.

Another difference between yesterday’s superheroes and today’s is what motivates them. Today, it is all about conquering evil or simply replacing one kind of technology for another.

The good guys of my youth were out to do good. The plots typically revolved around someone doing something bad to someone good. The good guys were good and never resorted to dirty tricks to win. That is the kind of superhero we need today.

Originally created as a parody of Superman, the Mighty Mouse character first appeared in 1942 in a theatrical animated short entitled The Mouse of Tomorrow. Mighty Mouse became a staple of Saturday morning cartoons on CBS during the 1950s and 1960s. That is where you would find me, wearing my Mighty Mouse shirt, complete with cape - the shirt my parents took away from me when I tried to jump off the garage roof thinking it gave me the power of flight.

When he would swoop to the rescue, he would always yell, “Here I come to save the day!” I keep hoping I will hear that when I read of some of the ridiculousness taking place in our society today.
Take, for example, attempts by the New York legislature to outlaw corn sweetener. A bill in the New York State Assembly proposes an outright ban on high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). The bill says prohibiting foods made with the sweetener will lower the incidence of diseases related to HFCS consumption.

A bill to ban salt was also introduced in this same august legislative body earlier this year. We need a superhero to fly in and set the record straight. HFCS is simply a kind of sugar made from corn, instead of beets or cane like table sugar is. Corn sugar shares a nearly identical composition with table sugar. And, both have the same number of calories.

The bottom line: Drinks sweetened by sugar or high fructose corn syrup contain calories, and consuming too many calories can make you fat.

Remember the Food vs. Fuel debate that raged in the media in 2008? Have you heard much about that lately? No, because corn prices went down but food prices have not.

The oil industry and the food manufacturers blamed ethanol for driving up food costs. They had no proof, but the media did not mind. The proof is now available in a U.N. study that proves ethanol was not to blame but, rather, that high oil prices were a primary cause. This has been ignored by the media, and the oil and food industries are keeping mum.

These are only two examples of the craziness that has been going on this spring. Don’t even get me started on San Francisco’s Meatless Mondays or the HSUS Iowa egg fiasco. And, just think, it is only April. How crazy will things get by July?

We need a myth-busting superhero who will come charging in with the facts when public health zealots try to take away our food choices, or when the media bandwagon takes off but leaves the facts behind. Here is my suggestion.

When you need help on the farm, what trusted friend do you turn to who is always there? Your dog, of course. Thus, we need a farm dog superhero to battle forces of deception and misinformation, to take a bite out of dishonest animal activists and, with his ferocious bark, shout down the dietary fear mongers.

I would suggest a border collie because they would be the best at dealing with the media which acts like sheep and travels in herds. You know, I think I am on to something here. Stay tuned for the continuing adventures of the newest superhero for agriculture.

The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of Farm World. Readers with questions or comments for Gary Truitt may write to him in care of this publication.