I spent a long time thinking of the title for this. That’s about the best I could do.
http://www.facebook.com/guardianofseattle
Phoenix Jones has reached the point in his (in his head) celebrity status where he can solicit donations from his fans. Not for a charity, not for a worthy cause, or to help the homeless, or to feed starving children.
For a bulletproof suit, for himself.
You might think this is not such a bad idea, heck, you may even support it. Every superhero needs gear. I know I’ve put a fair amount of money into upgrading my gear over the two years I’ve been active. I’m sure Phoenix Jones has even spent some of his own money (some) into his gear.
But what does the average citizen superhero do to get the gear they need to do justice in their communities?
They work for it. They scrimp, they save, they work extra hours or second jobs.
Peter Parker, minus the powers, is probably the closest thing to an approachable RLSH you can get. He’s broke, he has responsibilities. He pays rent, he works a crappy job (I’ve worked some of the jobs he’s done). Yet he still manages to have the money to sew up his spandex suit and build web shooters.
But Phoenix Jones isn’t doing that this time. Because according to his Facebook page, he doesn’t want to be corrupted by corporate GREED. which is why he is asking for money from his fans. How much is he attempting to solicit, you ask?

$10,000

Yes, 10 grand. that’s more than a lot of people make in a year. That’s more than most people (like the homeless) will ever see in the rest of their lifetimes. But Phoenix Jones needs a custom built, bulletproof supersuit, with a live streaming HD camera built in (he already has a HD camera by the way).
Why? For what? So he can get arrested again and have it confiscated by the police again? So he can run into a volatile situation involving a handgun and tackle some armed nut job in the middle of a crowded Seattle street? It’s happened before.
But I ask you, is this really necessary?
Do you really want to help?
Do you want to make a difference?
Giving Phoenix Jones your money is not the solution to a problem. It’s a WASTE is what it is. Phoenix Jones could easily take this kind of money and transform his team, the Rain City Superhero Movement into a completely trained, certified Non Profit Organization complete with all bulletproof gear, change the face of Seattle as a crime fighting organization and charity and raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for worthy causes. He could help start a homeless shelter or a new soup kitchen. If the RCSM was a NPO they could easily solicit donations from major corporations (who get a tax write off anyway) and really, truly change their community.
But why NOT put this money into the RCSM Jones? Why not put this into your team mates? into something BIGGER than YOURSELF.
Because that’s not the point. The point is to make himself look good. that’s ALL that matters to him.
I’ve collected some links to gear that can achieve pretty much exactly what PJ wants, and for a lot less than 10 G’s. Kevlar Helmet, Bullet Resistant Vest, Bullet Proof Mask, Ballistic Athletic Cup, Ballistic Neck & Shoulder Protection, Live Streaming HD Camera.
See Phoenix Jones? All that hardware could be yours for the low low price of a lot less than 10 grand. But that’s not the point, is it?
See, Phoenix Jones surprisingly has a lot of pull. He should use it to pull his head out of his ass.
But Phoenix Jones doesn’t want to do that. That doesn’t help make Phoenix Jones a better superhero, let alone a better person. It makes him what he proves himself to be time, and time again. An egocentric glory hound, who really only wants to propel himself further into the limelight. In the comics, superheroes make headlines, good or bad. That’s exactly what he wants, and all he wants. This is his ticket to that level of fame.
This is nothing more than a self service to him. Who benefits from this other than Phoenix Jones? NO ONE! PJ is the ONLY person that will benefit from YOU giving Phoenix Jones TEN THOUSAND DOLLARS. Not the city, not the homeless, not victims of domestic violence or starving children who sleep in the cold all night because they are homeless and HAVE NO MONEY THEMSELVES.
I could go on and on, I think I’ve made my point, and if anyone cannot ereally grasp what I am getting at here, then I don’t know what else to do.
I’m not opposed to Phoenix Jones soliciting funds for a worthy cause, a charity. Hell, if he did any of the things I mentioned above I’d honestly throw a few bones his way.
I am not opposed to Phoenix Jones creating a new supersuit. He used to wear a balaclava and MMA shorts and a cape. His rubber suit, was (somewhat :/) of an upgrade. I looked into those xtremedesignfx suits before Peej got his and thought they looked dumb, in my opinion, but I digress.
What I disagree with completely is his soliciting funds to buy himself a new bulletproof suit, and such an absurd amount at that!
Go make a POSITIVE CONSTRUCTIVE change in your environment. The COSTUME DOES NOT DEFINE THE SUPERHERO. It does NOT make you a better crime fighter, it does NOT make you more effective. This is not Iron Man, this is not a comic book, or a movie. This is REALITY, something you obviously fail to grasp. Get with it dude, seriously.
And for the record, Phoenix Jones, I want you to be a BETTER superhero, a GOOD superhero. Not the next Booster Gold, which by the way, in personality and style,. you two are half brothers.


The similarities are disturbing.
But if Phoenix Jones wants money for crazy new gear, there’s already programs in place of that. Phoenix Jones believes he’s too big to fail, which is why he needs a new supersuit, luckily the government offers bailout programs like the grants listed on this page.
UPDATE:
According to the Community Guidelines set forth by Kickstarter.com Jones’ new suit violates “Fund my life” under Prohibited Causes.
Kickstarter Community Guidelines