Seattle's Protector Causes Tension in Superhero Community

[The Night Shade]

Awesome is very impresive the risk that some people take

 

[Baresark]

That isn't actually so. The point of a man wearing a costume is he has the ability to do what they cannot. The system is designed to protect the innocent, but occasionally, the system also has to let bad people go. Making the system more draconian isn't really an option, because then more innocent people get caught in it than already are.

But removing the system designed to protect the innocent altogether (in his case) isn't going to result in more innocents being affected?

If you can trust some random in a suit with doing things the system currently doesn't allow, why can't you trust the police force, people who are trained and with a system of accountability with being able to do them?

Your not removing the system by any means. And no one has been hurt by this. There is an existent system where if you see someone in distress you are allowed to help them. Part of that is calling the police of course, but this guy is just subduing them in a non-lethal manner. He isn't punishing them, it doesn't state specifically but I would imagine the police are brought after he subdues them. Also, unless I know a police officer, which is mostly not the case, I am trusting my safety to "a random in a suit". I police are fine if they happen to be there, and if they are not, you have to be allowed to help yourself and your neighbors if you can. Until this guy commits murder, he is not doing anyone any harm, and he is well within his rights to use his person to do such a thing.

It's also debatable how "proper" those law enforcement agencies really are.

Ok, yes, but I doubt the US is adaquately fucked enough to justify moving law enforcement away from law enforcement agencies.

No one is actually qualified to make that assessment for anyone else. Only a person in a given situation is in the position to make that choice. One of the biggest fallacies in America with respect to law enforcement is that the police are somehow more qualified to make decisions regarding the safety of others, as if they are some sort of superhuman perfect beings themselves incapable of making mistakes. My stance is simply that the police are only human, and based on that are not qualified to choose what is and is not safe for someone else to do. I myself am a highly trained person in regards to self defense, if the police are around, I'll let them handle it. If they are not, and I see wrong doing, I will always intervene. I do this knowing full well that it is potentially dangerous to my person and I'm taking risks that could turn out badly for myself. That is what this guy is doing.

People see this as some sort of fight between police and masked vigilante-ism. It's not. There are no police to take care of a situation, so he intervenes. The only way this turns into some sort of competition is if someone's ego makes it so. His ego isn't, so if there is a fight, it's because the police ego is damaged by a normal citizen intervening because they are not there.

RLSH seem to understand that this kind of real-life vigilantism can range from nuisance to disaster, and to know that what they're doing is more about hobbyism and charity. Can't fault his courage, but Phoenix Jones is pretty likely to eventually wind up getting someone killed.

That is a situation that all face, including law enforcement. The police get themselves and others killed all the time. And it's not just them and criminals. there are situations where the police themselves cause the injury or death of an innocent person. They are not even really held accountable for that either. There was a situation where Detroit SRT shot and killed a 4 year old girl. Another situation where a cop beat a deaf guy when the man simply tried showing him ID and explaining that he was deaf. Stuff like that is common place. In the situation where someone is harming the person or property of someone else, something bad is going to happen. He is simply not sitting by and letting it happen. That makes him more community oriented than most, I'm not afraid to say.

 

[jonnosferatu]

If he has no problem with being injured in support of his cause, I see no reason why anyone should object beyond a simple advisory warning to other members of the community that there are risks involved.

Then again, this is just an extension of the same puritanism underlying the foundation of the superhero community, so I don't find it very surprising.

 

[Jamash]

I think Knight Owl should come up with a more original name.

What do you mean? That's pretty original... can you name any other birds with an Order of Chivalry?

I think his full, proper title is 'Knight Commander Sir Barney Owl KBE' but he uses Knight Owl as shorthand.

Night Owl would have been unoriginal, because most Owls are nocturnal (so it's redundant), but Knight Owl... an Owl with a bit of class and a title, that's pretty cool.

I wonder if he's part of a group of titled birds... perhaps he has a sidekick called 'Commander Chicken CBE'.

 

[maddawg IAJI]

Nevertheless, he felt that it didn't reflect well on the superhero community, and that Jones was something of a thorn in the RLSH's side.

..Wow, I felt that was pretty harsh considering that Jones is risking his life for the community. I admit that feeding the homeless and doing good deeds is very nice, but I agree with Jones personally- why put on a costume then if you're not going to fight crime? Personally I also felt that this part of the Article is important too:

Jones was critical of the RLSH, saying that although its members did good work, there was no point in putting on a superhero costume if you weren't going to fight crime.

He's aware of the dangers, and admitted that he has been shot/stabbed in the past. This type of situations seems off to me really, because why would the RLSH be concenred with Jones (or anyone) being seriously injured or killed? It's like they are holding back spite being in a costume which usually, like the movie Kick A** (sorry my moral is not to ever cuss) where you dress up so people don't know your identity when dealing with crime.

Still, I appreciate them both I just can't understand the ideal of what RLSH is trying to do. I've helped with the Toy Drive, feed homeless, and so much without a costume but if I were going to go head on with a bunch of criminals or put myself in danger, then yeah I would wear a costume if I wasn't a cop. Plus, that's another thing- Jones is trained and knows what he is doing. Not anyone can just dress up and fight, they have to know weaponry, and combat period. Just my opinion overall but I am indeed grateful to them both.

I'm also aware that Jones can be sued if he does anything lethal, but surely I have faith that he'll do the right thing and handle the moment well. Just got to keep informed about this and we should be all good. Which is to say - I am surprised we have real Superheros in the first place, besides people in careers or movies. I find that really astonishing and awesome.

Because what Jones is doing is not only dangerous to himself, but to those around him. Its very easy for someone to see his costume and think that its the RLSH. What happens if one of these criminals that Jones chases off sees the RLSH members doing something and decides to attack them. Then you have a several people in the hospital because they wear costumes while doing charity work.

I wanna know how much he has actually managed to do? He chased off a jittery car thief. Thats it? I'd hardly call him a hero or even a vigilante. Ya, it was a nice thing for him to do, but it was nothing that anyone else could do. He has never done any actual super hero work and while he walks around 'patrolling' the streets, there are several homeless people in the area freezing their asses off. There's probably even a Boys and Girls club or a Salvation's Army in the area that needs some help with donations. If he wants to be a hero then maybe he should fix the problems that have presented themselves before going off looking for crimes.

 

[tehfeen83]

I think Knight Owl should come up with a more original name.

What do you mean? That's pretty original... can you name any other birds with an Order of Chivalry?

I think his full, proper title is 'Knight Commander Sir Barney Owl KBE' but he uses Knight Owl as shorthand.

Night Owl would have been unoriginal, because most Owls are nocturnal (so it's redundant), but Knight Owl... an Owl with a bit of class and a title, that's pretty cool.

I wonder if he's part of a group of titled birds... perhaps he has a sidekick called 'Commander Chicken CBE'.

While you make some pretty darn good points, I still have to disagree. Write down Knight Owl and Night Owl, go on. Done? Cool, written down Knight Owl is a pretty cool name, but it's one of those names he's going to have to explain to everyone one he meets 'Oh, you're Night Owl, like from Watchmen?' 'No, I'm Knight Owl, like an Owl who's a. um Knight' Not cool.

As for other birds having an order of chivalry, you've got me stumped. Though I think that eagles are generally thought of as the most noble and majestic of our avian friends, appearing as they do on lots of different coinage and heraldry. Also falcons have an entire profession named after them, that has always had strong ties to the nobility. Lastly, I'm pretty sure several carrier pigeons have been awarded medals/honors for services during wartime in the past, not a code of chivalry sure, but come on, war hero pigeons!

Hope that explains my opinion on his name. Because Knight Owl sucks.

 

[Jamash]

Spoiler: snip

I think Knight Owl should come up with a more original name.

What do you mean? That's pretty original... can you name any other birds with an Order of Chivalry?

I think his full, proper title is 'Knight Commander Sir Barney Owl KBE' but he uses Knight Owl as shorthand.

Night Owl would have been unoriginal, because most Owls are nocturnal (so it's redundant), but Knight Owl... an Owl with a bit of class and a title, that's pretty cool.

I wonder if he's part of a group of titled birds... perhaps he has a sidekick called 'Commander Chicken CBE'.

While you make some pretty darn good points, I still have to disagree. Write down Knight Owl and Night Owl, go on. Done? Cool, written down Knight Owl is a pretty cool name, but it's one of those names he's going to have to explain to everyone one he meets 'Oh, you're Night Owl, like from Watchmen?' 'No, I'm Knight Owl, like an Owl who's a. um Knight' Not cool.

As for other birds having an order of chivalry, you've got me stumped. Though I think that eagles are generally thought of as the most noble and majestic of our avian friends, appearing as they do on lots of different coinage and heraldry. Also falcons have an entire profession named after them, that has always had strong ties to the nobility. Lastly, I'm pretty sure several carrier pigeons have been awarded medals/honors for services during wartime in the past, not a code of chivalry sure, but come on, war hero pigeons!

Hope that explains my opinion on his name. Because Knight Owl sucks.

You're right, it's is pretty lame, but I bet he thought he was being really clever when he came up with it.

He's probably so sick of people making that Watchman comparison that he's started pronouncing the silent 'K'...

"I am Knnn-ight Owl".

Speaking of birds with Orders of Chivalry, I've just remembered Nils Olav [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nils_Olav], sorry, Colonel-in-Chief Sir Nils Olav, the Scottish Penguin who was knighted by King Harald the Fifth of Norway.




Knight Owl wishes he was half as cool as Nils Olav... hell, I wish I was as cool as Sir Nils.

 

[tehfeen83]

You're right, it's is pretty lame, but I bet he thought he was being really clever when he came up with it.

He's probably so sick of people making that Watchman comparison that he's started pronouncing the silent 'K'...

"I am Knnn-ight Owl".

Speaking of birds with Orders of Chivalry, I've just remembered Nils Olav [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nils_Olav], sorry, Colonel-in-Chief Sir Nils Olav, the Scottish Penguin who was knighted by King Harald the Fifth of Norway.




Knight Owl wishes he was half as cool as Nils Olav... hell, I wish I was as cool as Sir Nils.[/quote]

Haha, that video was brilliant! 'You as a, er, penguin, in every way qualify to receive the honor and dignity of knighthood'

I'd feel safer if Nils Olav was patrolling the streets. Though even he might be mistaken for The Penguin.

 

[MDAWG909]

im from Seattle and i am only just hearing of him other then he got hurt a while ago.

 

[notyouraveragejoe]

So hes something of a Wolverine now? Epic!

Seriously though Im pretty sure Jones is well aware of the dangers yet hes still taking the risk to help others. I applaud the guy in all his efforts. The RLSH is also doing something noble, dont get me wrong, but I still think Jones is doing the most impact here.

I agree with you in all senses. Also...It must be said that this is a new level of cool. I mean...maybe we'll eventually have a "Superhero" department in law enforcement. That'd be sweet.

 

[Devi Darkside]

I keep hearing too much about this tard being in Seattle and I have to ask, has he ever read either Kick-Ass or Watchmen? The superhero idea only works in comics, when you throw something like that in a real or realistic the results are disastrous. Not just that but the first footage of this bastard was him harassing a guy in downtown Seattle...If he's not stupid he's probably a bit crazy and really doesn't deserve this kind of attention...

 

[boradis]

2) Join a larger organization of trained and well-equipped specialists who are given authority by society to capture and hold dangerous persons. This is called "joining the police."

If I remember something like that already exists in the US and they are called bounty hunters but as for other places such as europe I don't think it's legal.

No. I am referring to the actual police.