Former “Lois & Clark” actor Dean Cain is officially hanging up his cape on Tuesday and putting on a badge.
Cain will swear in as a reserve officer with the St. Anthony Police Department in Idaho, because, as he said, “real heroes don’t wear capes. Real Superheroes wear uniforms and badges and stethoscopes! Real superheroes are members of our military, law enforcement, and first responders. Pretend Superheroes wear capes!”
After playing numerous roles as police officers and military service members, Cain spoke to The Daily Caller about his support for military and first responders and what inspired him to step across that blue line himself.
Cain shared some of his family history, saying that although he had never served in the military, he grew up in the culture and had great respect for those who did. He said, “My Grandfather was a Commander in the Navy. He was very proud of his service, and he lived his entire life as though he was still serving. My Uncle was a Lt. Colonel in the Air Force and one of their best fighter pilots. He flew F-15’s, and received the Risner Award from fighter weapons school in Nellis Air Force Base. Both men were extremely respectful and humble, but tough, hard-working, and dedicated.”
Noting that many military and first responders seemed to be “cut from that same cloth” — displaying humility, dedication, a “sheepdog mentality,” and a commitment to hard work — Cain said that he felt like he would be a good fit.
I completely relate to people who will put themselves and their lives on the line to help others who need that help, or are unable to help themselves. I have always been a ‘man of action,’ from my participation in athletic competitions (especially football), but all sports. There are certain people who react well in life-threatening situations, and our military and our law enforcement and our first responders tend to be those types of folks.
The former “Superman” will be joining another actor, “CHiPs” alum Erik Estrada, who became a reserve officer in St. Anthony two years ago — and he will be working on Estrada’s “All About Kids” program. “All About Kids” works to prevent teen suicide and addresses issues like bullying and internet crimes.
Cain, whose son just graduated from high school, said he plans to take lessons learned as a parent — and as the target of a fair amount of social media harassment — with him, and use them to make himself a better officer.
I have learned so much raising my young man as a single parent, much of which can be very useful in my role as an officer. Young folks have different worries and concerns and vulnerabilities than some of us adults, and I think it’s important to understand and be compassionate about those concerns. Because my son just turned 18, I think I have a pretty good insight into the issues he and his friends have faced, and I can certainly bring that insight into my role as an officer working with kids.
I get attacked quite often on Twitter for my political views, and I show my son all the negative attacks that people aim toward me, and I explain why it happens, and then he sees me laugh at the attacks. Most attacks I encounter on social media are personal Ad Hominem attacks that have little or zero to do with my original statement or argument. When my son sees that these personal attacks do zero damage to my confidence and sense of self, and that I often laugh at them, I think he understands that social media is full of ‘haters’ and ‘trolls’ and people who just want to tear other people down. I took a lot of time with my son discussing social media, and the proper way to discuss things, and maintaining privacy, and being wary of predators, , etc… All young people need to be concerned about these abuses on-line.
Cain said that his primary concern going in was the way in which online bullying has rapidly overtaken physical bullying in terms of prevalence. The Princeton-educated actor may be able to ignore Twitter attacks, but teens don’t always have the same level of confidence — and he plans to help address that.
“Any sort of bullying is a terrible thing, but I think online bullying is so much worse because it’s psychological bullying,” he said. “And that can be much more harmful and lasting, having repercussions far beyond teenage years. Kids need to be aware of what kinds of interactions are ok, what kind are dangerous, and they need to be open and honest with their parents!”
Cain could not give details about the training he went through, but he did admit that “it was comprehensive.”