California councilman takes oath holding Captain America’s shield

Lan Diep, a councilman from San Jose, California, expressed his patriotism like a “superhero.”

During his swearing-in ceremony on Tuesday, Diep proudly clutched his full-sized replica of Captain America’s shield, a first in the state’s history.

“I believe government can be fun and I’m not above creating a bit of spectacle if it helps people pay more attention to local government,” Diep told The Huffington Post. “I’m willing to entertain them if they sit through all the policy discussions.” 

Diep, a Republican, admitted that he is a geek that’s head over heels for the Marvel superhero. According to him, his shield represents the ideals and beliefs he would defend during his term in public office.

“I do hope to aspire to those ideals of fair play, equal justice, and democracy during my term,” Diep said. “But really, I just had this awesome shield and I wanted a chance to show it off.” Washington Post reported that Diep planned to combat traffic congestion along the Bay Area and lobby for a mass rapid system to San Jose district.

The limited-edition collectible, which was once kept in Dep’s closet for a long time, is not displayed at his new office.  Gianna Francesca Catolico/rga