I BELIEVE IN HEROES

This is our fault, not one person but our fault collectively. We’ve stood by and watched, even cheered as bad behavior has been glorified in movies, tv, in comics and books. Sometimes even in real life. It wasn’t until the 1970’s that comic book creators started mass-producing toys, shirts, and collectibles with the image of villains on them.  Why did it take so long for this to happen? Because before then no one wanted them, no demand, no supply. Nowadays the villains are just as popular as the heroes. People walk around wearing tee shirts with the image of The Joker or Two Face on them. It’s like they forgot Two Face is a homicidal maniac. Would you wear a shirt with real villains on it? Would you wrap that shirt up and give it to your kids as a present. I hope you answered no because it would confuse them into thinking that villainous behavior is good or normal. This is what we have done, we have made all the bad things that villains do ok by making them fun to watch instead of just fun to defeat. It is no longer bad to be the bad guy, they usually just seem to be misunderstood.

Someone told me the other day to fuck off.  When I asked why he said that he answered “Because you pepper sprayed innocent protesters on May Day”. I explained to him that the only people that got pepper sprayed were an angry group of people who were vandalizing private and federal property, and scaring and threatening citizens. He said he agreed with the protestors but not their methods. So I said “If you agree with them but not their methods you don’t actually agree with them. What you’re saying is you’re frustrated, angry, and disappointing. You want change”. A lot of people feel that way, I know that I do. We’re in a recession and I believe that big business is smothering small business, jobs are disappearing rapidly and people’s futures are less secure then they were 20 years ago. This feeling or need for immediate change is spilling over into our actions, into our hearts, into our minds. We have been disappointed by everything else so we turn to villains, why? It’s impossible to be disappointing by them; they’re the safe bet. Hope is always a gamble and you have to jump with no safety net. I understand hope, I also understand fear and the power the fear breeds. Its easy to give in, its easy to say “Well that’s a rough part of town, we’ll just go around it.” or “This is a rough neighborhood, better catch a cab.” or “Don’t walk at night, you don’t know what can happen.” Whether we like it or not we all know that bad people exist. I’m asking you to have faith that there are many many more good people. I’m asking you to stop letting people with bad intentions control you. I’m asking you to take your streets, neighborhoods, cities, and states back. Not through violence but through controlled calls to action. When I put on the mask I patrolled in one city focusing my efforts on one neighborhood because that’s what it needed. It needed a symbol to say no to drug dealers and violent criminals roaming the streets. I now believe the world needs heroes more then ever. I want you to reject the idea that people are bad and dishonest. I want you to become a hero, maybe not in a super suit but a hero in your own way. I want you to look around and see what needs to be fixed and work to fix it. If you are not willing to be a part of the solution unfortunately you’re part of the problem.