San Jose, California, has a new superhero city council member. Lan Diep is a Republican legal aid attorney, a comic book nerd, and as of Tuesday when he was sworn in, a member of the city council. Diep displayed both his patriotism and his nerd cred by holding his cosplay Captain America shield while taking the oath of office.
In an interview after the meeting, the proud comic book geek and Houston-born son of Vietnamese refugees said that Captain America stands for the "kinds of things I strive for: equal justice, fair play and democracy."
Diep won a council seat on his second try, after losing in 2015, though the 2016 vote is still being contested. He's been recognized by presidents Barack Obama and George H. W. Bush, after moving to Mississippi to help people affected by the BP oil spill.
And, yes, I know the Bible is a prop, too. I was sworn in a bunch of times to different things, and always affirmed my role without it.