{"id":3818,"date":"2010-05-25T16:03:31","date_gmt":"2010-05-26T00:03:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/reallifesuperheroes.org\/?p=3818"},"modified":"2010-05-25T16:03:31","modified_gmt":"2010-05-26T00:03:31","slug":"real-life-superheroes-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rlsh.net\/archive\/2010\/05\/25\/real-life-superheroes-3\/","title":{"rendered":"Real\u2026 Life\u2026 Superheroes"},"content":{"rendered":"

Originally Posted: http:\/\/swordandscript.com\/general\/real-life-superheroes<\/a>
\nMay 25th, 2010 by Jim Gourley
\nWhen you think about it, the concept of Mark Millar\u2019s Kick-Ass<\/em> is a bit absurd.\u00a0 No, not in the fact that it puts a 16-year-old kid and a 10-year-old girl in costumes and has them battle gang bangers and mobsters.\u00a0 And not in the fact that Millar\u2019s oh-so-explicitly-stated premise was to investigate the question \u201cwhat if\u00a0real people tried being superheroes?\u201d\u00a0 So, that pretty much squashes the reasons everyone else<\/em> says it\u2019s absurd.\u00a0 So what\u2019s left?
\nThe fact that Millar convinced us that he was doing something incredibly unique with his story.
\nDon\u2019t get me wrong.\u00a0 I love<\/em> Kick-Ass as a comic.\u00a0 I don\u2019t know about it as a movie yet because I haven\u2019t seen it.\u00a0 Getting an English language version in Italy takes a while<\/a>.\u00a0 Nor do I think Millar is some kind of idiot who writes simplistic tripe in between fits of masturbating to online porn like some people believe<\/a> (scroll down on the link to see my response to that column).\u00a0 All you have to do is check out some of the man\u2019s political musings on his website to see that the guy\u00a0is plugged into\u00a0the greater social discourse<\/a>.\u00a0 If you\u2019re not seeing subtle overtures to greater cultural issues in\u00a0Kick-Ass<\/em>, then you\u2019re not looking hard enough.\u00a0 But that\u2019s another blog entirely.
\nNo, the reason that Millar\u2019s premise is just a tad<\/em> absurd is that every<\/em> superhero book tries to explore what it would be like if real<\/em> people became superheroes.\u00a0 But, like all superhero books, the realistic elements of the person necessarily have to stop at the personality traits and human relationships.\u00a0 If the person wasn\u2019t extraordinary, then nothing very extraordinary would happen in the story, and we\u2019d be bored to tears.\u00a0 So, the story is real up to the point when\u00a0a teenage boy incurs lots of consequences when he makes a (perhaps misguided) decision to fight crime.\u00a0 Then Dave Lizewski commences to take superhuman amounts of physical abuse, after which he takes inhuman <\/em>levels of abuse.\u00a0 Then he kills lots and lots of people.\u00a0 So some people come away from the story feeling cheated that the premise wasn\u2019t upheld.\u00a0 Dejected, they comfort themselves with an issue of New Warriors<\/em>.
\nBecause Night Thrasher is more believable as a concept for an angsty teenage\u00a0superhero confronting the consequences of his actions while struggling with lots of life problems.<\/p>\n

\nSo people shouldn\u2019t hate Millar for Kick-Ass<\/em>.\u00a0 They should hate\u00a0be angry at\u00a0themselves for expecting it to deliver something that it never could, and really never promised to.\u00a0 I mean, come on.\u00a0 Did Mark Millar, as good as he is, ever profess to have done the kind of in-depth research, shadowing clinical psychologists and interviewing\u00a0airline pilots<\/a> for a year to gain the kind of insight required to develop a character that would believably<\/em> put on a cape and a mask?\u00a0 No.\u00a0 So we should never have expected him to write the comics version of Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. <\/em>Besides, superheroes don\u2019t exist.\u00a0 They couldn\u2019t exist.\u00a0 Believing that you could actually make yourself into a superhero is absurd.
\nAnd yet there are people who dare to believe anyway.
\nSuperheroes really do exist.\u00a0 They are out there, even as we speak\u2013 dozens of them.\u00a0 They\u2019ve even dealt with the issue of registration<\/a>, without the help of Brian Bendis.\u00a0 As you can see, they are a very<\/em> realistic, very unpretentious group of people.\u00a0 They\u2019ve even foregone the snappy title of something like The Justice League of Extraordinary Adventuring Avengers<\/em> and simply called themselves what they are\u2013 Real Life Superheroes<\/strong>.
\nBut don\u2019t let the unassuming nature of their heroism fool you.\u00a0 These men and women are quite extraordinary by virtue of their choice to become heroes itself.\u00a0 They are unique because theirs is a story that even the greats like Bendis and Millar can\u2019t<\/em> tell.\u00a0 As I discussed last week, writers and artists in our medium dwell predominantly in the \u201cwhat if\u201d.\u00a0 The challenge to making a story believable is answering the \u201chow\u201d and \u201cwhy.\u201d\u00a0 But that\u2019s hard when you can\u2019t go out there and get those answers from people.\u00a0 Thanks to these truly special people, now it can be.
\nMuch of what follows might seem a let-down.\u00a0 As they answer the questions asked of them with the unabashed honesty you could find only in a superhero, we find that the life and work of a real superhero is unglamorous, boring, and tiresome\u2013 and not in the ways we\u2019re used to hearing about in the comics.\u00a0 In fact, as they relate it, the only thing \u2018epic\u2019 about their tales is the mundane nature of their work.\u00a0 They have never saved the world.\u00a0 They\u2019ve never been part of earth-shattering events.\u00a0 They have, with simple costumes and superhuman-sized hearts, gone out to offer themselves in service to their fellow man, despite acknowledging that the call to action will be rare.\u00a0 They are ordinary people, capable of only ordinary feats, whose stories are, perhaps disappointingly to comics fans, ordinary as well.\u00a0 With that general introduction, let\u2019s meet the Real Life Superheroes that grace us in today\u2019s discussion.<\/p>\n
A self-described objectivist<\/a>, Death\u2019s Head Moth<\/a> is a martial arts practitioner from Norfolk, Virginia.\u00a0 Dark, silent, and fearsome, his purpose is to serve as a warning sign to criminals that there really are things that go bump in the night\u2013 but only on their heads.\u00a0 Working out-of-costume, Death\u2019s Head Moth (DHM to his friends) performs charity and volunteer work.\u00a0 Whether behind the mask or out in his alter-ego, this is a guy that is constantly fighting the good fight.<\/div>\n
Geist<\/a> hails from Olmstead County in Minnesota.\u00a0 While perhaps a bit more flamboyant with his costume and approach to his activities, he\u2019s no less of a force for good in his region.\u00a0 In fact, as he reveals later in the interview, his notoriety is a force unto itself.\u00a0 Though they adhere to the same code of ethics<\/a> for Real Life Superheroes, they probably couldn\u2019t be more different.\u00a0 So they make a great pairing to discuss the life of a real super hero.\u00a0 The questions follow.<\/div>\n

Based in upper New York State, Silver Sentinel<\/a> is a security professional who decided that he could, and should, do more to help the people of his locale. Having worked in the superhero business for several years in addition to his vast training and experience, he not only walks the tough walk, but talks a very academic talk as well. His blog<\/a> demonstrates a comprehensive world-view with regard to his activities that come only with a great deal of experience and reflection. He\u2019s one of the sages of the Real Life Superheroes, though he typically does not grant interviews. Hearing from him today is a special opportunity.\u00a0 As such, he\u2019ll be getting the final word on all the questions.\u00a0 According to their personas, it just seems appropriate to color-code the responses.\u00a0 DHM will take a darker blue color to allow grey for Silver Sentinel.\u00a0 Geist, of course, will have his reponses in green.\u00a0 And now to let them do the talking.
\nGentlemen, thanks for taking the time to answer these questions about your experiences.\u00a0 Let\u2019s tackle the beliefs that led you to the life of a superhero. What convictions led you to don a costume and fight for justice?
\nDHM:\u00a0 The belief that no one has the right to force their will on others. I am to the core an Objectivist.
\nGEIST:\u00a0 When I was a teenager, two neighbors of mine were randomly murdered. In that era, I was watching TV shows like \u201cColumbo\u201d where the killer was always caught. The police were never able to identify the killer in this case. My beliefs in right and wrong were shattered. I couldn\u2019t understand how the police couldn\u2019t find conclusive clues to identify the perpetrator. 20 years later the killer confessed and turned himself in. He was someone I knew and who had once been a friend. The crime was committed purely for the thrill of it and he admitted that the victims could have been anyone, including my family.
\nThat event was an insult to my sense of justice.
\nDecades later, the events of 9\/11 were an additional attack on everyone\u2019s sense of right and wrong. I began wrestling with a response to such great evil in the world. Eventually, I heard about Real-Life Superheroes and concluded that this was going to be my personal response to injustice in the world.
\nSILVER SENTINEL:\u00a0 In one form or another, I have always been fighting for justice all my life. I pretended to be a superhero as a child. I became an activist in college. I became a minister later in life. And now I\u2019m a security professional. The ideals and beliefs I was raised with, and continued to practice all my life, have led me to what I am today.
\nJim: Hemmingway once said \u201cthe world is a good place, and worth fighting for.\u201d Does your use of a superhero persona represent a bit of a loss of faith in the law enforcement system to protect people, or the belief that everyone should contribute more?
\nDMH: Neither. It\u2019s what I wish to do. \u201d It\u2019s not a matter of who is going to let me; it\u2019s who is going to stop me.
\nGeist: Both. Whether the police forces are understaffed, or wrestling with a society in chaos, the growing strength of gangs and organized crime indicates that we need a new and unusual response to crime. What could be more disturbing to a criminal than a loose cannon in a crazy costume? Here are people who don\u2019t seem to play by \u201cthe rules.\u201d Here are citizens who step out of the normal boundaries and seek criminals on their own. We\u2019re unsanctioned and acting without a playbook. Who knows what we might and might not do? While we might have deep and personal ethics, it\u2019s the doubt and fear in the criminal\u2019s mind that\u2019s perhaps our only real superpower.
\nWhile I know that your questions are concentrating mainly on crime, I need to add that the majority of my measurable results tend to be charitable acts done while on patrol. This is where I believe general society needs to be more proactive. When people go hungry, we can\u2019t ignore the problems. When women and children seek shelter from abusive situations, we can\u2019t look away. When we live in luxury while others sleep under a bridge, there must be more that we can do.
\nSilver Sentinel: Not at all. I believe in the law enforcement system in America, despite its flaws and mistakes. I\u2019m doing what I\u2019m doing because I believe people everywhere have a moral obligation to participate in the safety and defense of their communities. Apathy is the biggest reason criminals get away with so much.
\nJim: I want to start with everyone on a\u00a0fundamental issue. There are already hundreds of thousands of law enforcement personnel all over the country. Then again, witnesses to crime and violence stand by and let it happen every day. How do you weigh the fact that there are dedicated professionals already trying to stop crime out there against the fact that too many people give evil a pass?
\nDMH: The easiest action for most people is to do nothing and at the same time demand someone else do something. Law enforcement do a lot but they\u2019re not omniscient.
\nGeist: As a society, we\u2019re far too selfish. \u201cIt\u2019s not my problem\u201d is an excuse that allows decay to grow.
\nMost people console themselves in that police are paid to do their jobs while overlooking the fact that they\u2019re also doing what they do because it\u2019s the right thing to do. What they do is good for all of us and the paycheck is a side-issue. The responsibility to watch out for each other is something that we all share, whether paid or not.
\nSilver Sentinel: Sadly, often the same people that let bad things happen without trying to help, are the same ones that cry to the authorities to do something about it.. and then denounce the authorities as being brutal, corrupt, and totalitarian.
\nJim: I want you to go back to the first night you took on your alter-ego. Suddenly, you\u2019re out there on the street and actively seeking criminal activity to confront. At what point did it occur to you that you are actually looking for trouble? What impact did this realization have on you, and how did it feel to know that \u201cthe shit just got real?\u201d I use that phrase to liken the experience to a Soldier\u2019s first patrol in a combat zone, but perhaps my analogy is off
\nDMH: The first patrol was a bust. Full of exicitment tempered by disappointment. I kept having to refocus myself on the task at hand so as to not inadvertently fuck up. It wasn\u2019t until about a month or so in that I saw any action.
\nGeist: This sort of goes back to the planning or creating a costume and the ritual of putting it on. With each piece of equipment, putting on each article of clothing, the reality is re-enforced. So to a degree, the hero is being built long before we step out of the door.
\nBut yes, walking down the street and meeting people is where it all becomes solidified. The first people I met in costume was a mother and child. The kid said, \u201cAre you a cowboy?\u201d And I said, \u201cYes. And I\u2019m also a superhero!\u201d It was then that I knew that that\u2019s who I was protecting. I knew that in that neighborhood people had been shot and that it was only a matter of two blocks from this mother and child.
\nSilver Sentinel:
\nI\u2019ve never viewed what I am doing as going out looking for trouble. I\u2019ve always thought of it as going out to see where my help might be needed. But for me, the impact of what I was doing became real when, one night, I found a young woman on the bank of a frozen river, very sick, very disoriented, and half dressed.
\nShe was perilously close to falling into the rapidly flowing icy river, just yards from the edge of a waterfall. She was very disoriented and vomiting, and I was concerned that she may have been the latest victim in a string of Rohypnol (Roofie) poisonings that had been reportedly going on in the local bars. I took her to the hospital, called her mother by her request, and went home worried. Fortunately, the next day, I learned she had simply drank too much at the bar, and lost her coat when, ill-advisedly, she stumbled down to the river to clean herself up.She baked me brownies as a thank you. I played the matter down, but she could have drowned, or gotten hypothermia. Fortunately, I had gone out that night.
\nJim: The movie Batman Begins spends a great deal of time investigating Bruce Wayne\u2019s mental, physical, and material preparation to do what he does.\u00a0Death\u2019s Head Moth\u00a0and Silver Sentinel have hand-to-hand combat training, and each of you carries equipment or costume accessories that prepare you for actual confrontation. Obviously, there is a degree of mental preparation that led to your own material preparation. What thoughts went through your mind as you prepared to go out and fight crime the first time?
\nDHM: I kept doing a mental inventory of my equipment and at the same time consider everything around me, trying to find something wrong.
\nGeist: I think we all might wonder at various times if what we\u2019re doing is something great and possibly heroic or if instead, a it could all be a stupendous error in judgement. I think that personal judgement depends on the risks and goals that you want to achieve in your own life. No one else can make those choices for you.
\nWe admit that it\u2019s bizarre, unusual and unorthodox. Whatever the case, we\u2019re making a choice to do something<\/strong>.
\nSilver Sentinel: Again, I don\u2019t specifically go out to \u201cfight crime\u201d, but to see where my help might be needed. But I prepared myself by getting my equipment in order, and then prayed that I either wouldn\u2019t be needed (which is a good thing), or that I would be equal to whatever task I might be called upon to perform. Prayer is my preferred method of mental preparation.
\nJim: How have your preparations changed? What things have you learned in your exploits that have changed the way you make nightly preparations? Have certain elements of your equipment or tactics changed?
\nDHM: I don\u2019t eat the day of a patrol and only drink water (in case I need emergency surgery), I check all my equipment for defections, check both road maps and google maps of were I\u2019m going and let an oracle know where I\u2019m going.
\nMy Equipment and tactics are constantly changing. It\u2019s the only way to remain effective and stay safe.
\nGeist: Yes, I had preconceived ideas about how I might do things and they haven\u2019t really been realized in practical experience. I imagined myself arriving and also disappearing in clouds of smoke and yes, I still carry large smoke-bombs for just that effect. I have to admit, that other than for a photography session, in practical experience, I\u2019ve yet to light one.
\nThe utility belt is something that constantly changes. I also have cargo pants and a coat with many pockets. I\u2019m constantly reassessing what goes into those pockets and whether I can find what I might need within them.
\nMost of the equipment is only for worst-case scenarios that have yet to occur and I hope never will. I\u2019ve \u201ctalked-down\u201d a lot of intense situations to a peaceful resolution. I prefer that everyone goes home happy if I can help it.
\nMy most useful items have been a cell-phone, a flashlight and neutral gray spray paint for painting over gang tags.
\nSilver Sentinel: All my equipment and tactics are based upon my experience as a security professional, and urban explorer. The only time I make any changes are when time and finances allow. Of course, I now have the Golden Valkyrie with me as my partner (not sidekick), so we\u2019ve developed routines to increase our effectiveness.
\nJim: Was there anything that happened to you in your \u201cearly days\u201d that you just didn\u2019t anticipate? How have you adapted to face those challenges in the future?
\nDHM: Meeting other people who do this. It still suprises me to actually make the acquaintance of people like Geist, Z, or Super hero.
\nGeist: I didn\u2019t anticipate the boredom of patrolling and seeking crime. In reality, it\u2019s basically a lot of walking and driving around. At it\u2019s best, it\u2019s with a purpose and a specific goal. Investigating a specific crime and following up on it is pretty exciting. There was a rapist that I investigated and also arrived at the correct identity of the perpetrator. The police caught him the next day. There was a \u201cfake cop\u201d who I was tracking from patterns of location and dates who I came close to catching. The police also nabbed him in the area and time that I had been patrolling.
\nSilver Sentinel: Patrol-wise, everything has been going according to my expectations. But I never expected to be so well received by my fellow superheroes, let alone many of the \u201csupervillains\u201d.
\nJim: Also part of the Wayne character\u2019s preparation in Batman Begins is a period spent actually being a criminal. He thus comes to understand the criminal mindset. The military and FBI put a great deal of importance in understanding terrorist and gang culture. Have you done any research to get more \u2018in touch\u2019 with the criminal\u2019s mind or prepare to face an antagonistic individual?
\nDHM: Constantly. I can be extremely disarming when I need to and I can use this to get people to accept me who normally would not. old tricks, new drugs, and who\u2019s doing what irredeemable things and were. You can learn a lot just by listening.
\nGeist: I\u2019ll have to say no to this. It\u2019s an interesting concept, though that I hadn\u2019t considered. No, I\u2019m really not a \u201cprofiler\u201d by any means.
\nI\u2019m afraid to say that I\u2019ve only seen \u201cBatman Begins\u201d once, although a dear friend of mine, Peter Tangen did the photography for that as well as all of the \u201cSpider-Man\u201d and \u201cHell-Boy\u201d films. I only know Peter because I\u2019m a Real-Life Superhero and very soon, there\u2019s a substantial gallery exhibition featuring portraits and posters of 20 of us for sale. The proceeds, of course, will go to children\u2019s charities.
\nSilver Sentinel: Both as a security officer, and a superhero, I benefit from talking to others in both professions. Bouncers, police officers, security personnel, and experienced heroes like Thanatos, and others. I also read a lot of material that deals with the subject matter.
\nJim: Our comics stories often describe the hero as fighting \u201ca never-ending battle for good\u201d, which seems rather noble. But the sad part is that the battle never ends because we can never vanquish evil. Do you ever feel despondent about this, and how long do you intend to keep this routine up?
\nDHM: On occasion, certainly. I haven\u2019t yet figured that out. I guess if I ever start do do it half-ass I\u2019ll retire on the spot and let someone else take my place.
\nGeist:
\nI\u2019m one of the older among the RLSHs and no, I don\u2019t intend to ever give it up. I\u2019ll always find some capacity to contribute to the movement. There\u2019s a role that we call an \u201cOracle\u201d who is someone who assists active patrolling RLSHs on the streets by keeping in phone contact and assisting via computer. Doc Spectral is my frequent non-RLSH Oracle. He\u2019s researched gang-tags, run license plate checks and looked up phone numbers for me. It\u2019s a very viable way to contribute to a hero in the field.\u00a0If nothing else, I\u2019ll do that.
\nDo I ever feel discouraged? No more so than anyone else who becomes appalled by the extent of the capability of mankind\u2019s dark side. It\u2019s all the more reason to take a more positive and active role in the betterment of society.
\nSilver Sentinel: Just because the war never ends doesn\u2019t mean we should ever stop trying. The cause is both just and necessary. We have to take solace in the many victories we bring about, learn from our mistakes, and be content that we have left the world a better place each night as we lay our heads to rest. Because what I do, is about who I am, the only way I could stop is by dying.. which I hope is many many years away.
\nJim: Let\u2019s talk about your costumes for a second. With all due respect, I can\u2019t imagine you not worrying about looking silly the first time you went out. A major part of the psychological element of confrontation is looking tough. I remember COL Michael Steele (of Blackhawk Down fame) telling my unit that you have to constantly \u201cpresent yourself as the dominant predator\u201d on the street to command respect. Have you found that your costume has helped or hurt you in the intimidation department?
\nDHM: Of course. After protection and freedom of movement that\u2019s one of the most important aspects.
\nGeist: When I was designing my costume and \u201clook\u201d I was very conscious that I definitely wanted to ride the border between friendly and also potentially frightening. When I go around to charitable missions, I wear the mask down and smile. The kids and social workers seem to love me. I want to be friendly and approachable to them. When they see my smile, it really helps, I think. I\u2019ve often been on my knees or sitting on the ground talking to kid or a homeless person who needs someone to bend an ear and have someone who will listen and understand their dilemma or point of view. What I do is really not all about fighting crime. There are so many other ways to help the world.
\nIf even a friendly person gets nuts, I can incapacitate them. I\u2019ve found that trust is a better weapon in my arsenal, though. The people I help so rarely see that.
\nBut when the mask is up, I\u2019m a bit intimidating. I use the mystery and fear to the imagination of who I\u2019m dealing with. It\u2019s their choice. I can be either a frightening specter or a kind soul. It\u2019s really up to them. I also want to re-iterate that I\u2019ve talked-down almost all problems to a peaceful resolution and didn\u2019t need a legal or forceful response. And I prefer it that way.
\nSometimes a guy in a strange costume is the outsider who anyone with a world full of problems can talk to. Meanwhile, I\u2019ve got martial arts training, my stun baton and my cell-phone to call the cops at the ready, just in case. But yes, I\u2019m glad when the situation can be resolved without using any of those.
\nSilver Sentinel: I save the costume for special occasions. Frankly everyone in my hometown can immediately identify me by my beard, and my general presence. Ask Dark Guardian, in or out of uniform, what you see is what you get with me. I patrol the local neighborhoods as myself. The police, and the people of the community, all respond positively to my presence because many of them know I\u2019m \u201cthe neighborhood watch guy\u201d.
\nJim: On a broader scale, it seems you could perform your activities without the costume. That being the case, what does the costume add to your image, and what does that image contribute to your cause?
\nDHM: I do this in normal clothes too. When I\u2019m in my suit I\u2019m simply more focused.
\nGeist:
\nYes, we could do what we do without a costume. But the costume and all the imagery that goes with it have the power of symbolism and resonance.
\nIf I\u2019m a regular guy who walks down a street looking for trouble, no one knows it. If I\u2019m a regular guy who gives a hot meal to a homeless person, no one notices. If I\u2019m in a costume, doing the same things, I\u2019m an example.I\u2019m also anonymous and could be anyone, including your neighbor, uncle, nephew, post-man or brother. I could be you and you could be me. To repeat, you could be me<\/strong>. That\u2019s an important part of the message.
\nWe certainly don\u2019t all need costumes or kooky gimmicks, but we can all do our part as citizens to step up and make our society better as we are able. Are we consoled to think of ourselves as a good person if we put some dollars in a church collection plate, but also are willing to pass by someone who is hungry or having obvious problems? This is nothing against church-going, but I think we simplify our means of giving. The sense of giving and social responsibility cannot end within an hour.
\nSilver Sentinel:
\nIt has to be an all the time thing. And no, what I do isn\u2019t based upon religion by any means. By most people\u2019s standards, I\u2019m probably not very religious. What I do is based upon what I think is right.The costume helps bring notice to the specific activities I use it for. Because I present myself positively, and professionally, it usually meets little skepticism. Friends, family, and most locals think that what I\u2019m doing, and what I represent, are pretty cool.
\nIt\u2019s my activities as, \u201ca superhero on the internet\u201d, that some people have a problem understanding.
\nJim: Turning to a more procedural note. It\u2019s apparent that you put yourself at several forms of risk, including bodily harm and running afoul of the law. Simply in terms of physical injury, do you have health insurance and are your carriers aware of your activities? Does this factor into your premiums?
\nDHM: Yes, I have health insurance. Now let me make sure I get the second part of the question right. You want to know if I\u2019ve told my carrier that I dress up in a stylized moth suit and utility belt and fight crime? No, I have not.
\nGeist:
\nOf course, I haven\u2019t told my insurance company about what I do. And they\u2019d never believe me if I did. Nor did I give them a heads-up before I sky-dived, scuba-dived or bungee-jumped.
\nI\u2019m at a certain age where I sometimes ponder how I might die. I\u2019d rather go out on two feet than in a hospital bed. I mean, really, we\u2019re all going to die, so how do we want to do it? And what, if anything, did our life mean?I have a choice to make as to whether I\u2019m a positive or negative influence on the world. I\u2019ve also made enough mistakes in my life that I feel I need to make up for. If I need to make atonement, it should be anonymously and without pats on the back. So the mask comes easy.
\nSilver Sentinel: Insurance companies don\u2019t raise the rates of people involved in neighborhood watch programs, or who take martial arts classes.. so why would what we do be any different?
\nJim: You\u2019ve become well-known in your local areas. Certainly, law enforcement is aware of your presence. Have they counseled you on your activities and any limits or rules they expect you to follow? How do you coordinate your activities in order to remain a help to them?
\nDHM: I stay away from cops while in uniform.
\nGeist: Yes, the police know exactly who I am. I\u2019ve had several interesting encounters with them and they\u2019ve all ended well. I\u2019m not quite sure what they think of me. I have reason to believe they might think I\u2019m a well-meaning nut or they might even be rooting for me unofficially. Tolerance might be a good word for our encounters. I also wonder if I don\u2019t have a good friend in the chain who I haven\u2019t met yet. Some sort of mucky-muck who hides his idealistic and also kooky standards and also might have wanted to be a superhero them self, or at least understands the idea.
\nSilver Sentinel: Because I\u2019m a security professional, I\u2019ve already been educated in the rules of engagement, and what I can and can not do legally, so the police don\u2019t worry about that. I\u2019m involved in working with my the neighborhood watch, so I operate within that framework. Because I go unmasked, and the authorities know who I am, I present myself as a credible witness and an extra pair of eyes. I never attempt to do the policemen\u2019s jobs for them.
\nJim: Now on to actual conflict with criminals. You seek out instances of wrongdoing. Do you have specific areas you patrol? What research do you use to choose the areas you go to? Do you have a particular search method?
\nDHM: I patrol different parts of the seven cities area. simply watching\/reading the news and talking with people. Usually a grid pattern.
\nGeist: There was a horrendous unsolved rape and murder of a young housewife that I\u2019m constantly investigating. The killer used arson to attempt to cover up his crime. I patrol that neighborhood every time I suit up. These sorts of unsolved crimes are where I hope Geist might be feared. Much like the 20-year-old confession, I need this guy to spill his guts unless I can find evidence to bring to the police. I need him to that there are people looking for him. It\u2019s been five years-plus and I don\u2019t want this perp walking around free without believing that I\u2019m looking over his shoulder every day and night.
\nAnd yes, I want him to fear that I might find him before the police do. I don\u2019t have to play by their rules, do I? Not as far as he knows, at least\u2026 Maybe I\u2019m a nut-job with a penchant for retribution. Who knows when I find him?
\nMy city has a very interesting website. http:\/\/www.rochester911.com\/<\/a>
\nA private citizen tracks crime, based on police reports and logs it on a map. I watch the site and use the information on my patrols. I\u2019m not sure why he does this and although we\u2019ve had some email contact, I don\u2019t know if he\u2019s sure why I do this, either.
\nSilver Sentinel: Yes. Golden Valkyrie and myself actually have several patrol routes we have planned around frequency of disturbances, types of disturbances we\u2019re likely to encounter, and peak activity times when such disturbances occur. We live in a small town, and you can practically tell what day of the week it is by what\u2019s happening in each part of town.
\nJim: You see instances of wrongdoing. What are the \u201ctypical\u201d events you witness? Soldiers and law enforcement officers have established \u201crules of engagement\u201d, based on pretty thorough scientific analysis, that help them resolve conflicts as peacefully as possible. Do you have similar rules, and what are they?
\nDHM: Drug dealing, assault, prostitution, drunk driving ect. I try to end conflicts as quickly as possible. I won\u2019t initiate violence only respond to it with greater force. In cases were I don\u2019t believe my involvment would be benificial (crimes to small to warrant costumed intervention\/ situations that are beyond my scope of operations like fires or car crashes) I call from a pay phone or third party purchased prepay.
\nGeist:
\nYes. Again, my cell-phone is my greatest weapon. But given that, I would much-prefer that a volatile situation can be \u201cworked-down\u201d to a level of talking and resolving. I might not be representative of a lot of RLSHs, but I\u2019d prefer that everyone goes home peacefully and not go to jail. Of course, there are limits of attitude and volition that I will not tolerate, but for the most part, I just want everyone to have a good night. If I don\u2019t have to punch someone or call the cops on them, it\u2019s a good night.<\/p>\n

I see domestic disputes going on in yards and intervene.<\/div>\n

I see gang-tags and paint over them. Supposedly, that\u2019s a \u201clethal\u201d insult. Fuck \u2018em. They can fear ME.
\nSilver Sentinel: Oh yes. Unnecessary confrontation is pointless. Never engage a suspect when a call to the police will suffice. Never escalate a situation for any reason. Only engage in physical intervention when bodily harm, or worse, are definitely going to happen and can not be avoided. Never carry weapons, or equipment, that are not legal in our jurisdiction. And always co-operate with the authorities under all circumstances.
\nJim: What is your threshold for the use of force?
\nDHM: I\u2019m not planning on killing anyone if that\u2019s what your asking.
\nGeist: I\u2019ve held a guy down at someone\u2019s request while the police were called. I never knew the offense, but the cop dragged him away without questions for me. I was civilian and undercover at the time which makes me wonder why the person in charge asked me to do that.
\nI\u2019m not going to use force unless someone is at risk. If someone else is at risk, I\u2019ll go nuts with anything I have to use (all of my equipment is completely legal for my state.) Ideally, I can give the cops a call about what\u2019s going on, but in the meantime, I\u2019m there and they\u2019re not.
\nYes, I\u2019ve been called a martial arts \u201cexpert\u201d in the press, but I\u2019m really a perpetual student.
\nFor some of these crimes I\u2019ve tracked \u2013 the violent bike-path rape of an innocent teenager, the murder of a young housewife? Do I know what I would or would not do if I found\/find the perp before the police? No. I don\u2019t know. I came close to finding the bike-path rapist before the police. A day late.
\nAs I\u2019ve mentioned, it\u2019s the uncertainty of what I might do before, or if I call the police that I want the criminals to fear.
\nSilver Sentinel: Words don\u2019t hurt, I\u2019ve been called worse. I will never engage in physical confrontation unless I am directly preventing bodily harm, or worse, from happening and can not be avoided. I\u2019m a trained security professional and will always obey the law in this regard.
\nJim: Have you ever been in an actual fight with a criminal while in your superhero persona? Can you detail the incident? What were they doing, how did the fight start, how was it resolved, and what was the law enforcement\/community reaction?
\nDHM: A few. A few years ago I was doing a patrol in Richmond. I was walking through an alley when I heard a party up ahead. I decided to skirt the edge of light comming for the back of the house so no one would see me. As I was about to come past the end of the house I saw two people behind a camper. There was a woman trying to unlock a bike and a young man alternately talking to her and hitting her. Without hesitation I stepped foward and said \u201d Don\u2019t hit her again!\u201d. He looked at me with a very confused expression( high as a kite) and casually turned and hit the girl again. I grabbed a handfull of his hair and stepped into the back of his knee, guiding his head into the side of the camper. He fell over moaning and I turned to the girl and said \u201cI have some money if you need cab fair\u201d she just looked at me with dialated eyes and walked her bike away down the alleyway.
\nGeist: Not other than a guy I held down for the cops to arrive. And I found it quite easy to hold him down. I still wonder what his crime was.
\nI truly try to resolve conflicts a lot more peacefully than in the comics or movies.
\nThere are a lot of more viable resolutions than slugging, stunning or spraying someone. I\u2019ve found that talking and understanding someone\u2019s issues and problems can be more powerful than a punch. And ideally, everyone goes home without hand-cuffs.
\nBut if someone wants to resort to violence, the cops are my first call and then I\u2019m taking them on until they arrive.
\nI truly want to toy with the line in criminals minds about how law-abiding I might be.
\nMeanwhile, I can perform a Citizens Arrest in my state and wish to adhere to every legality within that. However, that means that after a proper announcement, I can use \u201cLike Means of Force\u201d to hold and subdue the alleged perpetrator. \u201cLike Means of Force\u201d might mean that if they produce a gun or a knife they might not want to have pulled those items due to my various legal responses to that.
\nSilver Sentinel: No. I haven\u2019t been in a physical altercation in years, though I am trained and prepared for it. I have a command presence that dissuades people from thinking about taking a poke at me. You\u2019d be amazed at how much violence can be avoided using a calm voice and the proper attitude.
\nJim: Staying with conflicts, whether it was a fight or not, you\u2019ve all had altercations with antagonistic people. Can you explain the feelings you have when this happens? Is there an adrenaline rush? Are you afraid? What do you do to keep calm and win?
\nDHM: I don\u2019t really think about it until afterward.
\nGeist: I\u2019ve had my knuckles clenched and ready more than a few times. But no, it\u2019s never come to that and I\u2019m quite glad about it.
\nThere was this one time patrolling with Razorhawk<\/a> and other members of the Great Lakes Heroes Guild in downtown Minneapolis when we walked up to this urban house with a rowdy porch party going on. The guys had clearly been drinking a lot and it seemed like we were asking for it, just by walking by in our admittedly-strange costumes. The guys were sort of confrontational, but also curious. We said, \u201cIs everything alright here? Are you folks all cool and all tonight?\u201d A few of the guys started getting in our faces about the costumes and drunkenly wondering what we\u2019re doing. As we started to explain ourselves and our friendly motives, one of the guys runs forward and says, \u201cDude, you were in the City Pages! You\u2019re that superhero dude!\u201d I told him that yes, I am and that we all were. After that we held a brief Q&A session on the sidewalk, told them that we wanted to make sure that everyone was safe and walked away leaving a group of people wanting to also do the right thing. (Even if they were way-drunk).
\nSilver Sentinel: Prepare for the worst. Get your head in the game as you go in. Don\u2019t allow yourself to be distracted. Adrenaline is meant to help you, not control you. There\u2019s time to be scared afterward. You can cry, shake, and rage all you want.. later.. away from the situation.
\nJim: Regardless of whether there was a fight, have you ever encountered a situation that you weren\u2019t prepared to handle or feel like you did the wrong thing? What did you learn from the incident?
\nDHM: The incident with the crack dealer, I wear a protective mask.
\nGeist: I had one mission like that in particular. I had to call the police to rescue ME. It was so embarrassing. Here I was, all \u201cGeisted-up.\u201d Full costume. The works. I had decided to paint over some very nasty gang graffiti, which included a swastika. I lowered myself down a wall and took out the graffiti. Then, I couldn\u2019t get back up the wall at the side of a river.
\nI had just put my emergency contact on a plane out of town so I paced and paced in the small cement landing, wondering what to do. So I called the police. Despite my assurances that all I needed was one guy with a strong grip, they sent a two fire-trucks and fire-man\u2019s boat to get me out of the predicament. The boat was overkill, but it\u2019s the route they took. And yes, the police officer who arrived had a lot of questions. But yeah, he was cool about the whole thing. I think he especially appreciated it when I showed him before and after pics from my cell-phone.
\nAs he asked me to wait behind his squad car so he could talk to his boss, I said, \u201cBut yeah, there was a swastika, Man\u2026\u201d He said, \u201cYeah, I know.\u201d When he got out, after a long conversation with his captain, (meanwhile, I\u2019m just waiting idly behind his squad car in full costume looking at the sky and everything else) he emerged and said, \u201cY\u2019know, we could charge you with trespassing because you jumped a fence to get down there, but we understand what you wanted to do and you\u2019re free to go. Give us a heads up next time you want to do something like this.\u201d
\nHe got sort of \u201cfan-boy\u201d and asked to take some pics of me, and of course I was still feeling guilty. I told him that I knew there was more than one reason for that, but let him do that. \u201cHe said, it\u2019s not everyday that I get a chance to meet a superhero.\u201d I knew that he also wanted photos to identify me in the future and he totally admitted that that was part of the reason. Even in my abject state of mind, he suggested I strike a heroic pose and I did my best.
\nIt\u2019s my belief that if the cops know who NOT to shoot if I\u2019m wrestling with a mugger someday, that\u2019s a great thing. I think I\u2019m misguided, very charitable, potentially helpful, and also might put some fear into the people that they\u2019re also looking for. Y\u2019know, after 3 or 4 encounters with them, I bet they\u2019ve got a special code for me now. Who knows?
\nIt was my biggest screw-up. I had to call the cops to rescue ME.
\nThey have me on record, but I also believe they sort of know what I\u2019m trying to do for them, whether they officially approve of my methods or not. They know I\u2019m not doing anything illegal, if not un-wise.
\nSilver Sentinel: Not really. I\u2019ve learned a lot over the years, and one of those things is to never get involved in something I don\u2019t know anything about. I let those who know what they\u2019re doing handle that. I\u2019m here to help, I\u2019m not a substitute for police, firefighters, or EMTs.
\nJim: I mentioned the \u201cnever-ending battle\u201d earlier. On the whole, has your superhero persona made your local area a better place? Have there been any negative impacts?
\nDHM: In some ways. Not yet.
\nGeist:
\nThere\u2019s been nothing negative yet and I hope there never will be.
\nOne of the best things has been when I walked into a homeless shelter, the Dorothy Day House with donations. They have rotating volunteers. There were a couple of teenage guys manning the front desk that night.As I walked in with groceries, they said, \u201cOh my God, are you Geist?\u201d I had recently been featured in some national media. With a little bit of vanity, I said, \u201cYes. Did you guys hear about me on CNN or something?\u201d And they said\u2026 \u201cNo, Man. Word on the streets. Word on the streets.\u201d
\nWow. You can\u2019t get much better than that, can you?
\nSilver Sentinel: Being out there has had a positive impact. The only problem now is that the more I do this, the more certain elements (criminals, mean spirited people, and buttheads) try to tear me down. They\u2019ve been finding that it doesn\u2019t work very well when they try to smear me and find their audience actually cheers me on.
\nJim: Silver Sentinel mentioned before the difference between Vigilantism and Vigilance<\/a>. It\u2019s an interesting point. The definition of vigilantism involves a personal form of justice. Meanwhile, the \u201cactual\u201d definition of justice is established on a cultural basis, and is different throughout the world. Imagine hundreds or even thousands more people putting on costumes and doing what you do. Would that indicate that more individuals are breaking away from society, or that society itself is changing? Would it better serve justice or cause more chaos?
\nDHM: Those distinctions rely soley with the personal ethics of the people involved.
\nGeist: The chaos already exists. We\u2019re just responding to it in an unusual way.
\nIn our country there are rapes and drive-by shootings. In other countries there are machete attacks, kidnappings or beheadings. Someone has to stand up and say \u201cNo.\u201d
\nSilver Sentinel: I hope more people are inspired to get involved in their communities, but don\u2019t feel the need to put on a costume to do so. We\u2019re not about breaking away from society, but about making society work better for itself. We\u2019re about inspiring a message of hope, and cooperation. We\u2019re just the messengers, it\u2019s up to the people to live the message.
\nHaving more masked do-gooders around would increase the chances of someone, well-meaning, but ill prepared, to get hurt, or make matters worse.
\nJim: We all have a responsibility to each other to do the right thing. Then again, we\u2019re not all as well trained or prepared to do what you do. Do you endorse or discourage people who want to become superheroes like you? What kind of qualifications should a person have? What kind of mentality should they have?
\nDHM: No we don\u2019t, our only responsiblity is\u00a0to our selves to do right. I don\u2019t recomend it overall.
\nGeist: I don\u2019t encourage anyone to do this and do my best to discourage it. But there is a point when it\u2019s clear that someone is dead-set on following this path and the only viable option is to guide them to do it wisely and as safely as possible.
\nYou can\u2019t teach wisdom, but you can teach safety and preparation.
\nAre there RLSHs out there who are doing this dangerously? Maybe. I hope not, but that\u2019s part of the reason we network and commune on the internet and also over the phone. There are a lot of conversations going on that the general public isn\u2019t privvy to.
\nSilver Sentinel: I encourage everyone to learn and to think about what they can best do to help in their communities. Each individual should only do what they themselves are best suited to do, and leave the other stuff to others. They should be willing to help others, and not be out for ego gratification, or some misguided sense of vengeance.
\nUltimately, it doesn\u2019t take a saint, or a superhero, to care about others and help out in some way. We all have a hero inside of us.
\nJim: What\u2019s been the best part of being a superhero? What\u2019s the worst part?
\nDHM: Every time I get to put the suit on on and fix at least one wrong thing. The overhead( My nine to five barely supports the expense).
\nGeist: The best part is when you can make someone smile by helping them or even just meeting them. There\u2019s nothing like putting a smile on a child who\u2019s full of sudden wonder or a homeless person who suddenly has reason to hope for a better tomorrow and believe in the compassion of humanity again.
\nI think the worst part is the sudden or gradual loss of personal friends. That\u2019s partly because I don\u2019t have a lot of time to invest in friendships, but also because if I care about the person, it\u2019s really best that they keep as much distance from me as possible, just in case a gang or a criminal might determine my identy and want to \u201cteach me a lesson.\u201d
\nI also want to mention that while my private and superheroic life is pretty interesting, it doesn\u2019t leave me a lot to talk about to friends or relatives. I constantly hear, \u201cHey, what have you been up to? You always have some cool project going on.\u201d And for lack of a better response, I reply, \u201cNot much. Nothing really. How about you?\u201d
\nSilver Sentinel:
\nThe best part about being a superhero is that I can finally be who I\u2019ve always known myself to be. I am a helping, caring member of my community, and servant of the higher ideals I\u2019ve always been taught to live by.. and I feel, doing God\u2019s work. Ultimately it\u2019s not about ourselves though, it\u2019s about the people we serve.The worst part is, my fiancee is arguably one of the hottest super heroines on the planet. When she shows up in public.. I might as well be wearing a clown suit and playing the bagpipes.. nobody even realizes I\u2019m there.
\nJim: And so there it is, in their own words.\u00a0 For these three average Joes, tomorrow will probably be just another boring day.\u00a0 Then again, maybe it won\u2019t.\u00a0 Either way, they go out knowing that they\u2019ve helped to save at least one life in their adventures.\u00a0 As the\u00a0Jewish Talmud says, \u201che who saves one life, saves the world entire.\u201d\u00a0 If that\u2019s the case, who knows what earth-shattering events and revelations they\u2019ve been at the center of.\u00a0 And that\u2019s why they keep going out, because though it is rarely sounded, the call to action they heed is dire.\u00a0 Their battle isn\u2019t against a super villain or the mafia or any heavily armed cabal.\u00a0 It\u2019s against the boredom, the indifference, and the urge to just quit when there doesn\u2019t seem to be a point anymore.\u00a0 It may not make for an action-packed comic book, but it\u2019s an epic battle that the rest of us could only hope to be heroic enough to fight.\u00a0 That they fight it proves that they truly are extraordinary individuals.\u00a0 In that regard we should ask ourselves who the ones with the absurd beliefs are, those putting on costumes and attempting to be watchmen, or those of us standing back and watching them?\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Geist, Death’s Head Moth and Silver Sentinel does a Q and A on Sword and Script.com<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9165,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[9],"tags":[205,718,1017,1041,1417,1594,1700,1837,2181,2410,2795],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rlsh.net\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3818"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rlsh.net\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rlsh.net\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rlsh.net\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rlsh.net\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3818"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rlsh.net\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3818\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rlsh.net\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9165"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rlsh.net\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3818"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rlsh.net\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3818"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rlsh.net\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3818"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}