Hero or Menace?

[MIB41]

It's interesting to see people play out these roles. But it's hard to know how effective they really are. What about these gang ridden communities? With a few exceptions it seems like the actions of glorified boy scouts wearing costumes. Wearing a costume doesn't make you special. It's whether or not you truly make a difference.

[samurainoir]

Looks like they are going to get the attention they crave... new HBO documentary series about them.

Colorful Crusaders: HBO's Real-Life Superheroes. Are They Actual Super-Men, or a Bunch of Jokers? | GeekChicDaily

[samurainoir]

They also make folks in tough neighborhoods who might be wary of the cops and snitching feel more comfortable to reach out and understand that there is help if they need it. There’s a huge rift in trust groups like that provide.

A year after the G-20 here in Toronto, the police are still smarting from the PR disaster of letting a small group run wild for hours through the city and then bringing the hammer down on what amounted to thousands of innocent protesters.

The public shaming campaign after the recent Vancouver hockey riot is quite interesting as well. We are at a point where a majority of the population are probably armed with video recording devices on their phones/ipods etc.

I attending a fascinating talk by a self proclaimed cyborg/academic Steve Mann, about a decade ago where he was using the term "Sousveillance". This seems to have become a reality within the last couple of years with events like the G-20 and Vancouver Riot creating hundreds of personal viewpoints accessible via Youtube, that keeps all sides in check to a certain degree.

Post G-20, there were members of the Black Block charged with destruction of property AND Police Officers who were charged with brutality directly because of the number of personal video recordings devices wielded by the public.

[torgospizza]

There's an opportunity for problems to arise any time someone wears a mask and tries to impart their personal sense of morality on others. The Bald Knobbers are a good example: they started out trying to curb bushwhacking and by the time it was done, they were driving people from their homes in order to grab their land cheaply. This guy is a joke, but it just never turns out well in real life.

[MicromanZone]

The co-operation with the cops is a big plus. They have numbers too. Groups like the Angels are meant to be a presence, an extra set of eyes watching things for the police. That's what makes them so useful and effective.

They also make folks in tough neighborhoods who might be wary of the cops and snitching feel more comfortable to reach out and understand that there is help if they need it. There’s a huge rift in trust groups like that provide.

[ctc]

>Watch groups and Guardian Angels are at least organized and have some rules. There's some training involved. There's often cooperation from local law enforcement on some level.

The co-operation with the cops is a big plus. They have numbers too. Groups like the Angels are meant to be a presence, an extra set of eyes watching things for the police. That's what makes them so useful and effective.

>he's gonna get himself killed

I believe the term is "natural selection."

Don C.

[kingdom warrior]

Leave the crime fighting to the Professionals Police Officers men and women who are trained and sworn to protect us. Not some nut in a costume looking for a book and movie deal down the road....

[Hector]

My problem with these people is they seem extremely needy and stunningly stupid. I believe it impairs their ability to good judgment calls and and their lack of fundamental training to help automate the correct responses to critical situations makes them somewhat dangerous.

I also think it's more about their psychological problems more than it's about helping people - so I'm a big thumbs down on these folks.

The real-life superheroes like to portray their motives as wholly benevolent, but if they were driven purely by altruism, they'd have become police officers or firefighters or charity volunteers. Something else is evidently propelling them—a touch of narcissism. It's an odd sort of narcissism, of course, when the narcissist disguises his face, but the lust for fame and glory is unmistakable. By the time Phoenix has had his picture taken, the potential criminal and victim are nowhere to be seen.

This sums it up for me.

I have zero admiration for violent and stupid people.

In TOTAL agreement here.

[Brazoo]

The Guardian Angels are the only self-appointed “heros” I have ever trusted or respected. I used to think they were a completely narcissistic joke, but they actually do help and have made a difference. They actually take on the roll that old school foot patrol cops used to have: They get to know the community, build trust and build bonds.

“Phoenix Jones” seems like a completely delusional clown.

Yup! I agree.

[Brazoo]

Well I tell ya,, I dont know about Canada, but here in New Jersey, we have a couple of violent cities, Newark,Trenton,, and believe it of not, the police forces have been cut due too this budget fiasco,,,,So maybe if we had more of the Guardian Angels on the street,,, you know who they are? they dont dress up,, just wear red jackets and berrets and carry radios to call police and all that jazz,,, maybe if more people take a stand against crime,,, maybe just maybe,,, knowing that [eople are also out there,, crime would drop a little bit.

Watch groups and Guardian Angels are at least organized and have some rules. There's some training involved. There's often cooperation from local law enforcement on some level.

Going by this article it's actually very unusual for these guys to prevent a crime or actually help people - it seems like what they're doing is finding people who might be criminals and trying to antagonize them. That's not cutting down crime - it's escalating crime.

[Brazoo]

I think Jon Ronson (the guy who wrote that article), is amazing.

He made the documentary "Stanley Kubrick's Boxes" and wrote "The Men Who Stare At Goats" - he's just awesome.

[samurainoir]

The Guardian Angels have tried to get a toehold here in Toronto a couple of times (the last time was fairly recent... within the last couple of years or so), but they have generally been rejected.

[MicromanZone]

Well I tell ya,, I dont know about Canada, but here in New Jersey, we have a couple of violent cities, Newark,Trenton,, and believe it of not, the police forces have been cut due too this budget fiasco,,,,So maybe if we had more of the Guardian Angels on the street,,, you know who they are? they dont dress up,, just wear red jackets and berrets and carry radios to call police and all that jazz,,, maybe if more people take a stand against crime,,, maybe just maybe,,, knowing that [eople are also out there,, crime would drop a little bit.

The Guardian Angels are the only self-appointed “heros” I have ever trusted or respected. I used to think they were a completely narcissistic joke, but they actually do help and have made a difference. They actually take on the role that old school foot patrol cops used to have: They get to know the community, build trust and build bonds.

“Phoenix Jones” seems like a completely delusional clown.

[bp1701a]

Well I tell ya,, I dont know about Canada, but here in New Jersey, we have a couple of violent cities, Newark,Trenton,, and believe it of not, the police forces have been cut due too this budget fiasco,,,,So maybe if we had more of the Guardian Angels on the street,,, you know who they are? they dont dress up,, just wear red jackets and berrets and carry radios to call police and all that jazz,,, maybe if more people take a stand against crime,,, maybe just maybe,,, knowing that [eople are also out there,, crime would drop a little bit.

[Brazoo]

The real-life superheroes like to portray their motives as wholly benevolent, but if they were driven purely by altruism, they'd have become police officers or firefighters or charity volunteers. Something else is evidently propelling them—a touch of narcissism. It's an odd sort of narcissism, of course, when the narcissist disguises his face, but the lust for fame and glory is unmistakable. By the time Phoenix has had his picture taken, the potential criminal and victim are nowhere to be seen.

This sums it up for me.

I have zero admiration for violent and stupid people.