Another cool blog post from Captain Black

My crusade isn't always a happy one. Others in the real life superhero movement ( RLSH ) easily echo this sentiment. While I brand myself a " happy warrior " perpetual bliss is far from the case. I wrestle against the confines of the ordinary. The ordinary tells us misery is reality and activism futility. It cautions that crusaders ( caped and otherwise ) are the stuff of comic books and pulp novels, a far cry from what's laughingly called the real world. Struggling against the ordinary is often confused with being delusional. Movement members and the like minded everywhere counter that the worst " delusion " is feeling you can't change your part of the world for the better.

Comic book and pulp novel fiction feed steady supplies of larger-than-life characters to readers hungry for heroic escape. While entertainment for some, observers like me use them as blueprints for a more realized life. The trick isn't to simply recreate what's in their pages. The real trick is releasing the best inside yourself that skeptics, including ones in our mirrors, feel doesn't exist. Daring to be more than your resume also means daring to fail. Big. The trade off is occasionally doing things similar to comic book or pulp novel characters.

Climbing a fire department ladder to assist my 85 year old neighbor was one such moment. Another was initiating and graduating from my hometown's first FBI Citizens Academy. Past bounty hunting exploits before openly becoming a RLSH join the list. Starring as the subject of a student film about my Capt. Black activities adds definite icing on this cake.

RLSH war happily against the ordinary. Not doing so undermines our creative approach to community outreach and crime prevention. While this war isn't always a happy one, our joy is the fruit of escaping the ordinary: ensuring the hungry are fed; the homeless are helped; crime is solved and most importantly, people inspired to shrug off being ordinary, if only for a moment.

When you're an activist of any sort, especially in this movement, warring against being ordinary keeps a smile on not just your face but on those of everyone you meet.

NADRA ENZI AKA CAPT. BLACK promotes crime prevention and self-development. http://www.captblack.info and http://www.blogtalkradio.com/nadraenzi

Wise words from Captain Black / Nadra Enzi aka Captain Black

A buddy of mine sent this to me. I alway love reading Captain Blacks blogs
because they are always smart, compelling, and provide a unique perspective
between the RLSH movement and alot of other important and current events.

<< Start >

As political battle lines deepen and tempers boil, the real life superhero movement serves as a
much needed political neutral ground for well intentioned people whose disagreements end at helping others. Verbal volleys and policy pummeling still leave at risk populations in need of what RLSH offer: inspirational humanitarian and crime prevention support.

Like any group, real life superheroes come from all ideologies and political parties. Our common culture transcends what usually divides other citizens. This movement is non-partisan and therefore has die hard Democrats united with rock ribbed Republicans fighting the same creatively fought Good Fight.

In a polarized body politic this is an advantage worth marketing to folks who simply want to do some good. Broadcasts and headlines reflect ugliness that drive potential crusaders away from public life. Between this cross fire stand costumed activists and crimefighters inviting anyone, anywhere to lend a helping hand.

There isn't a liberal RLSH movement nor is there a conservative RLSH movement in America or elsewhere.
Hopefully there never will be. There is only an international movement of real life superheroes comprised of liberals, conservatives, moderates, libertarians, anarchists and others creatively contributing to worthy causes.

As such, we're are a much needed political neutral ground for concerned citizens weary of labeling and loudness while the hungry still need food and the threatened still need protection.

NADRA ENZI AKA CAPT. BLACK promotes crime prevention and self-development. http://www.captblack.info and http://www.blogtalkradio.com/nadraenzi.

<< End >>

Go get em' Captain Black!!!

The double edged sword

One of the main criticisms about the RLSH is that of the costume and mask that some of them wear. Alot of people point to that and say "People would take you more seriously if you removed the costume and mask." Alot of people doing this happen to be RLSV's. Mind you not all of them are RLSV's but a fair percentage of them are. As I spoken before (and often) as to some of the reasons why a RLSH would wear a costume and a mask so I am not going to go over them for the billionth time (besides see the RLSH Manual online written by Night Owl for a really good take on the whole RLSH movement in general.)Another thing I often hear is "Why don't the RLSH drop the alternative identities and just come out as who you really are, with your real names."

So the other day while I was resting in my secret hideaway beneath Fenway Park and nibbling away on a rather healthy chunk of Swiss cheese that I "borrowed" from a local supermarket I started putting some deep thought to this. It was after I was halfway to fully consuming the Swiss cheese that I decided to cast a spotlight on this in order to point out the inherent failure of this logic. Alow this wee little mouse to explain as follows:

If the RLSV want the RLSH to drop the costumes (or outfits), masks, and alternative identities then why don't they do so themselves. Why do so many of them enjoy putting on those "dreaded" costumes/outfits, those dreaded "masks" and use those strange "alternative identities"? Here, let me point a few out...

Lord Malignance: Is that his real name? If he REALLY believes in his cause then what's with the bronze bedpan that he uses to cover his face? What's with those cheap ass sunglasses that he seemingly stole off the set of the first "Back to the Future" movie set? And that white lab coat. His high school science teacher must still be wondering where it is. And let's not forget all those Youtube videos he has - if anyone is an attention whore then he may be top of the list.

Poop Knife: You know that when you're alias translates to "edged weapon used to stir shit" that things cannot be completely right up in the cranium. Funny thing is old Poop Knife did not expose his real name on that fake ass MySpace page he created under another fake name called "Free Information" until I did. So Poop, if you wanted the RLSH to supposedly "come clean" then why is it so hard for you to do the same about yourself or that "king0Nazi@gmail" email address you have?

Malvado SV: Or is it Grodd? Or is it something else these days? As far as the name thing goes you might be the worst case of them all. You've changed your name more often that Tiger Woods changes mistresses. So why not use your real name there and why use some fake ass background story about Gorilla City (trademark infringement by the way) if you're SOOOOOO interested in the truth? Sidenote: If you're going to criticize the RLSH then by all means resolve you drug habits first (the public admission of alcohol issues and smoking pot.)

Black Sun: Another RLSV clown with another fake name. And his costume of choice? A black gas mask to cover his face. Of course this serves two functions - 1) conceal his identity and 2) protect him from the nauseating effects of his own flatulence and body odor. But seriously though, if you have a problem with masks, costumes, fake identities, (and apparently people stricken with cancer) then shed the mask and use your real name otherwise like I said your just a sadistic clown.

Agent Berylium: Well the first time I heard her voice I thougt to myself "So this is what a drunk woman sounds like in the middle of giving birth without the benefit of painkillers." But seriously though, what's up with the fake name? And why the goggles? Do you really need either to promote your delusional cause?

The Potentate: Supposedly the leader of ROACH, this guy is one of the most blatant hypocrites of all. Seller of cheap ass T-shirts (low quality twill mind you), he rallies his fellow RLSV's to combat the RLSH and push the RLSH to drop the costumes/outfits, masks, and fake names all the while using a fake identity himself and concealing his true form behind a VOLCANIC SMOG CLOUD!!! So Potentate, if you want to be a true leader then step up and lead by example. Shed the smoke and the fake name like you want the RLSH to shed their own garb and alternative names because if you don't then you're more full of crap than Poop Knife's toilet.

Ghost of Nixon: Well at least this guy did not spend alot of money on his costume - although La Quinta called and said that you still need to pay for that bed sheet you stole from them. Are you really the Ghost of Nixon? IS that what your mommie named you when she pushed you out? And what's your obsession with the letter "m"?
You remind me of an American version of Baghead and amazingly enough his method of hiding his secret identity as per his namesake is even cheaper than your own. Damn those ROACH paycuts.

And there are so many other faker RLSV's out there both in wardrobe and name. Names like Exit Nero, Calamity, and the Canadian one known as Crimson Nematode. Many of them hide their true names and facades behind false trappings and yet rage against the RLSH for their alternative names and appearance. How ironic that the RLSV who damn others are guilty of the very things they heap upon their accused.

So yeah, I'm not REALLY a 6 ounce mouse that works for the mythical being known as Krampus. I'm not REALLY scurrying around at night and spying on those that would do harm to others within the RLSV and RLSH. But since the RLSV like to run around in the land of make believe names and garish garb like goggles, cheap ass sunglasses, lab coats, paper bags, bed sheets, edged crap cutters, and alcoholic/doped up monkeys then who are they to question others about doing so themselves. Their original claim of wanting to put the RLSH back on the right track and keep them from getting out of control is a sham. How can the RLSV claim to want to do this when they cannot even do so within themselves? So my advice to the RLSV (not that they will take it because alot of them are just so screwed up to begin with) when it comes to the whole costume/outfit/mask/ alternative identity controversy is simple.... do not ask of others what you are obviously incapable of doing yourselves.

RLSH Patrols and the Bystander Effect: Part 2

Intrigued by the concept of the Bystander Effect, two psychologists named John Darley and Bibb Latane decided to make a study of it.

Darley and Latane analyzed the psychological processes involved in the bystander effect to create a model suggesting the factors that result in bystander intervention or inaction [4]. One factor that may weaken the likelihood of bystander intervention is the presence of others (Darley and Latane 1968)[5]. They hypothesized that the presence of others leads to the responsibility of helping being diffused among the onlookers in what they called “diffusion of responsibility” along with a diffusion of the blame, since people do not think they will be blamed individually in a large group (Darley and Latane 1968). Their hypothesis was that in an emergency, when an individual knows that others are around but cannot view their behavior, they tend to assume that someone else must be intervening and that their own intervention would thus fail to be helpful, and could perhaps even be harmful (Darley and Latane 1968). To test this hypothesis, Darley and Latane 1968 conducted an experiment where participants were told that they were going to participate in a discussion with others via the use of an intercom system to avoid any embarrassment regarding answers to the questions (Darley and Latane 1968). During the discussion, one of the other subjects suffered from what seemed to be a very bad seizure or choking fit (Darley and Latane 1968). The independent variable was the number of people the true participant believed to be in the discussion group, and the dependent variable was the time it took the participant to report the emergency (Darley and Latane 1968). The results showed that as the number of people believed to be in the experiment increased, participants took significantly longer amounts of time to report the emergency, if they reported it at all (Darley and Latane 1968). Darley and Latane then analyzed what they termed as the situation effect, the idea that because emergencies tend to be initially ambiguous, people look at the reactions of others to determine how they should react (Darley and Latane 1968). If no one else reacts, people assume that it must not be an emergency and remain inactive as well (Darley and Latane 1968). Latane and Darley tested this hypothesis experimentally with the “smoke-filled room study,” where the participant was placed in a waiting room either alone, with two real participants, or with two confederates (Latane and Darley 1968). [6]. Smoke would gradually begin to fill the room where the participant was sitting (Latane and Darley 1968). The independent variable was the participant was either in the presence of confederates, who remained passive in spite of the increasingly smoke-filled room, or the participant was alone (Latane and Darley 1968). The dependent variable was how long it took the participant to report the smoke (Latane and Darley 1968). In the individual condition, the participant reported the smoke almost immediately, while in the confederate condition only 10% of participants reported the smoke at all, even when it was so thick that they could not see their hand in front of their faces (Latane and Darley 1968). This phenomenon is called pluralistic ignorance, the collective misinterpretation of a situation as result of everyone looking to those around them to determine how to behave (Latane and Darley 1968). This includes the audience inhibition effect, the idea that people have a fear of being viewed as inadequate or confused, and as a result do not want to risk standing out, even by intervening in an emergency situation, for fear of overreacting and being embarrassed in front of others (Darley and Latane 1968). Diffusion of responsibility, pluralistic ignorance, and the audience inhibition effect together form Latane and Darley’s bystander effect, forming a major subset of the social psychological study of prosocial behavior.

In the early 1980s Darley and Latane’s conclusions were expanded into a second theory of bystander intervention called the arousal cost-reward model (Pilivian, Dovidio, Gaertner, and Clark 1981)[7]. This model suggests that bystanders intervene most when they perceive the personal costs of helping to be low and the costs of not helping are perceived as being high (Pilivian, et. al) . Other social psychologists have expanded these conclusions to explain other social phenomena. In 1994, social psychologists Christy and Voigt sought a better understanding of the lack of bystander intervention in episodes of public child abuse [8]. They surveyed 269 witnesses who stated that they had seen instances of child abuse (Christy & Voigt 1994). While around half of the participants in the survey stated that these instances occurred in public, only one out of four witnesses acted to intervene. This research led to the conclusion that bystander intervention in situations like child abuse is most likely to occur when the bystander is able to mentally produce a number of feasible solutions or strategies to end the perceived conflict (Christy & Voigt 1994). Additionally, Christy and Voigt found that bystanders are more likely to intervene when they have a relationship with the victim or can identify with the victim in some way. As more studies are made that examine what specifically increases the likelihood of bystander intervention, social psychologists have began making suggestions on how to expand the bystander effect to improve rape prevention education programs (Banyard, Plante, & Moynihan 2004) and to analyze the existence of the bystander effect in children by studying bullying (Rigby & Johnson 2005)

Now how does this relate to RLSH patrols? Easily. RLSH patrols are often accused of doing more harm than good. Many people claim that their existence serves no positive purpose, that their intervention in a crime in the midst of occurring is a detriment. To these detractors I pose your opinions against the research and scientific, video, and historical accounts I have presented. Evidence suggests that too often even when something bad is happening the greater number of people present gives no assurance that the ability to diffuse or deter negative consequences is DIMINISHED but in many cases it is largely IGNORED. The evidence points out that as more people become aware of the situation they often assume that "it's not their problem because someone else around them will handle it." It creates a miasma of apathy that can have terrible consequences. A RLSH patrol or single RLSH would not stand idly by like so many others would while a young girl is dragged away kidnapped, a young baby bakes inside a car, or someone is mortally wounded and virtually helpless. For as much as people like to condemn and falsely label RLSH patrols. RLSH don't stand around and let bad things happen. They intervene, sometimes at the cost of their own well being because they put the lives of others ahead of their own. It is this spirit of selflessness that I feel is needed to combat something like the Bystander Effect. Standing around with the mentality of "that's not my problem" when people are in harms way is wrong. Stepping up and putting yourself at risk even if it means getting mocked, verbally chastised, or perhaps even physically tested is the right thing to do.

Apathy is as great an evil as any other and hundreds of thousands of lives are lost each year because people lose the will to care even when others are obviously in harms way. They look the other way and keep going, ignoring those that suffer around them. But when I think of RLSH patrols I don't see dangerous vigilantes. I see people stepping forward saying "I care and I won't just stand around and do nothing."

Let me end with the following which was a conclusion of one of the many studies done on the Bystander Effect.

Studies consistently show that the result of bystander intervention is the reduced likelihood of violent attempts being successful, the reduction of overall violence, and increased intervention by others in conflict situations (Christy & Voigt 1994, Rigby & Johnson 2005). For these reasons, anti-bystander apathy education programs have been implemented by a number of different institutions to increase helping behavior, especially in situations of sexual violence or violence against children.

For these reasons I genuinely feel that RLSH patrols are not a part of any problem but I truly feel that they have the power to serve a great good. The evidence speaks for itself.

RLSH Patrols and the Bystander Effect: Part One

After seeing the snippet videos of Superhero and other RLSH at MegaCon I was intrigued about something that he brought up which he termed the "Bystander Effect" and how it relates to the issue of RLSH patrols. One of the biggest aspects of the movement which is often criticized (especially unjustly so and with exaggerated propaganda) is RLSH patrols. Some people, especially misinformed RLSVs or RLSVs who enjoy instigating against the RLSH with false information claim that the RLSH patrols consist of people who are inherently violent, looking for a fight, armed with lethal weaponry like firearms, and possessed of a hard line vigilante mentality. RLSH place great emphasis on performing their job within the boundaries of the Good Samaritan Laws or Citizens Arrest Laws of their community or the weapon of choice of a RLSH is a cell phone which they use to call the police/ local law enforcement.

Curious about the psychological concept of the "Bystander Effect" I decided to do some research. The case of Kitty Genovese is often cited as an example of the "bystander effect" though as earlier noted this case is now widely thought to have been over interpreted or even misinterpreted. It is also the case that originally stimulated social psychological research in this area. Ms. Genovese was stabbed to death in 1964 by a serial rapist and murderer. According to newspaper accounts, the attack lasted for at least a half an hour. The murderer attacked Ms. Genovese and stabbed her, but then fled the scene after attracting the attention of a neighbor. The killer then returned ten minutes later and finished the assault. Newspaper reports after Genovese's death claimed that 38 witnesses watched the stabbings and failed to intervene or even contact the police. This led to widespread public attention, and many editorials.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNLBjv1ElCw&feature=related

According to an article published in American Psychologist in 2007, the original story of Kitty Genovese's murder was exaggerated by the media. Specifically, there were not 38 eyewitnesses, the police were contacted at least once during the attack, and many of the bystanders that overheard the attack could not actually see the event. The authors of the article suggest that the story continues to be misrepresented in social psychology textbooks because it functions as a parable and serves as a dramatic example for students. Still, the general lack of timely assistance to a woman in dire need of help whether their were 3, 13, or 38 witnesses seems rather appalling. But for those out who would point and say "Aha.. so the story is not 100% accurate" I offer you this one which is (and serves as another example of the Bystander effect.

Petru Barladeanu was accidentally shot by Italian mafia in a crowded street in the center of Napoli close to the Spanish Quarter, on the 26th of May, 2009. The event took place at a moment when the street was full of people who witnessed the assault at early hours of the evening. Taking refuge at the entrance of a station, Petru Barladeanu fell and died half an hour later in the presence of his panicked wife who called for help. As shown in the CCTV video of the event the victim was surrounded by ordinary people who looked at the victim without giving any help whatsoever and then fled the scene. The victim eventually died and the perpetrators were convicted only months later. None of those who refused to assist the victim were either identified or charged by the prosecutors. Even as I read this I was shocked. I could not imagine how a street full of people would ignore the presence of a mortally wounded man in need of life saving medical attention or the pleas of his wife for help.

To further emphasize this psychological phenomena here is are 2 video experiments done to demonstrate the effect.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KIvGIwLcIuw&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2OdKow7IAuw&feature=related

Imagine seeing a man dragging off a young girl as she kicks, screams, begs for help and yells "Leave me alone you are not my father." Now imagine doing nothing to help her as she gets dragged off. Now imagine the thousands of young children every year who disappear, never to be found again or found brutally murdered. Imagine seeing an infant trapped inside a care during a hot summer day crying as he/she literally bakes to death because a the adult in charge of keeping them safe was too interested in a local sale or their doctors appointment. Yes people, these things do happen - you see it in the media all the time.