Brave New Synergy

In honor of Martin Luther King Jr., this badass statue was erected on the Mall in D.C.:

Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial:

While I liked the idea when I found out about it, something just didn't sit right with me. Something about this monument seemed sinister.. And then it hit me -

I was transported fifteen years into the past, to January 1st, 1997 - Season 2, Episode 12 of Superman: The Animated Series. In the episode titled Brave New Metropolis, Lois accidentally ends up in another dimension and finds herself in a parallel Metropolis, confirming the Multiverse theory. In this New Metropolis, Superman has been working for Lex Luthor (<--- evil) ever since the Lois he loved died. It turns out that when he lost her he ended up losing a part of himself.

Here he is, distraught:

In this episode, Lex Luthor rules the city and revokes the freedoms of citizens. LexCorp erects a statue in the city to intimidate and subdue the protestors.

It was the Stone Of Hope's resemblance to this statue that I found disturbing.

 

If the new memorial in Washington is so stern and intimidating, how can it profess a message of hope and freedom?

And, more importantly, are we in an alternate reality??