Because this bears repeating....

I was reading Tea Krulos blog about the upcoming photo presentation project involving of the RLSH and when I read it I was compelled to repost it here in my blog because IMHO it bears repeating. In many ways Peter Tangen's words captured the spirit of what I have been trying to say for so long about the power and symbolism behind a RLSH's alternative persona and their uniform/costume. Virus was right - he expressed it better than alot of RLSH have in the past. It would be nice if people took some serious time to see beyond the costume and peer into the heart of Peter's words. Some do, some don't, and some do so to certain degrees but we can't expect everyone to see things our way and I understand that. With that being said here is what Peter wrote about the project.

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I’ve been reading these comments with great interest and thought it was about time I added my own thoughts. I’d first like to say that I appreciate all points of view, those posted by heroes and villains alike. I’m not here to defend RLSH or argue with those who oppose them. Instead I’d like to say a few things about this project.

This is a project that tells a story and this is what I believe…

A story that inspires people is worth telling.

I’ve shown the project to about 40 people and each one of them has been inspired to look for opportunities in their own lives to make the world around them a better place. The thirty people who worked on the photo shoot were inspired to volunteer because of the story I told, the owners of companies that provided studio space, equipment and other things did so for the same reason, as have the many people who have contributed to the project since the shoot. The story this project tells hopes to spread this message to a larger audience.

Each of us wants power.

The power to have our voices heard and to inspire others to understand our point of view and hopefully adopt it. As a photographer I use imagery to express what I believe. Many RLSH & RLSV do the same.

The RLSH are in the business of marketing good deeds.

A child battling cancer who met DC’s Guardian has a memory that will last and a hero to look up to. An eighty year old homeless woman meets and dances a waltz with Thanatos, dancing with “death” just weeks before her own passing. A witness to Life helping a homeless person describes her own realization that simple acts can make an important difference in someone’s day, without the mask it would just be another anonymous handout to an anonymous homeless man.

I believe RLSH do make the world a better place.

I’ve witnessed the effect heroes have on the people they help and I’ve seen firsthand the effect their story has on people who hear it. I’ve learned that the power to be heard is not the only power I aspire to as I’ve recognized my own power to help the less fortunate I meet in my day to day life.

As The Crimson Fist says “I’m one guy, I can’t save the world, but I’d like to inspire the world to save itself”. With this collection of photographs I hope to reach people and inspire them. RLSH are the vehicle I’ve chosen to accomplish this goal and I’m proud to know many of them and to call them my friends.

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It bears repeating. The RLSH are in the business of marketing good deeds and within these boundaries there will probably be a little self-promotion. However, the desired end result does not change - the RLSH exist to help people on various different levels and way. Sometimes they fail; other times they succeed but the effort is always there.