Super: A Citizenship Essay

Super: A Citizenship essay

Super: above, beyond, in addition, to an especially high degree. Superhero: A benevolent fictional character that possesses superhuman abilities or magical powers, wearing a distinctive costume, and fighting against evil (Wiki). By most definitions, characters strictly require actual superhuman powers to be deemed superheroes. However, this term can be applied to characters that perform the same functions but are devoid of such powers and abilities that are alternately referred to as costumed crime fighters, or vigilantes.

Vigilante: The word vigilante is of Spanish origin and means "watchman" or "guard" but its Latin root is vigil, which means "awake" or "observant." When it is said that someone is taking the law into their own hands, this usually means that they are engaging in vigilante activity, or vigilantism (Wiki). Vigilantes operate in the shadows rather than the bright lights of mainstream political consensus. They have arisen at many times in different regions of the world as defenders, often by force, of their view of the good life against those they see to be its enemies (Abrahams).

We all grew up with fantasies of flying like superman or to have his powers of strength, but what would we do with that power? Superheroes are a vital and enduring piece of American pop culture, one that has spread like a creeping mold to many corners of the world.

White 2 something viscerally appealing about a lone vigilante bringing peace to a city, unrestrained by the bureaucracy of professional Law and following only the universal language of Morality. If Hollywood Box Office figures are correct, the allure of superheroes has significantly increased over the past few years, possibly due to the steady stream of atrocities that the media bombards us with day-by-day. Whether the sad state of the world is an illusion brought upon by our easy access to global news or a horrible truth, society seems to be sinking into an abyss of poverty, war, and corruption. It is no wonder that people are looking for a hero to cling to, even if the heroes are fictional (Lawrence, J. S., and Jewett, R.).

Citizen: an inhabitant of a city or town entitled to the rights of a free man a civilian distinguished from a specialized servant of the state (wiki). I know to become a part of the United States social order and working force you must become a naturalized citizen or obtain citizenship and that comes with a lengthy test of American history and government. But it comes with all the accoutrements that a citizen of a country would need, like political participation in the life of the community, the rights to vote, and the right to receive certain protections from the nation you claim for your own.

Protection of or from or even for the nation under which you serve, that is now your rights as a citizen of your land so when it comes to protection what do you do and who do you turn to? Some fictional cities have the likes of superheroes to protect their city walls like an ultimate citizen that watches over your civil liberties and protects from crimes. But that is not real...or is it? There are a small number of individual people whom are taking on the role of super citizens in their own communities due to the afflictions of their living conditions or their own personal history.

White 3 These people are taking matters into their own hands dolling out their own brand of justice how they see fit. That's who I want to talk about; these people whom have become what they believe are "superheroes" for their communities, States, Nations, and Earths.

People like Seattle's masked superhero crime fighter "Phoenix Jones" who has recently helped bring his style of extra-curricular activities and others to the mainstream by getting an assault charge for allegedly spraying pepper spray on people who he claims were fighting. Phoenix Jones, who has been unmasked by police as Benjamin Fodor, was arrested about 2:30 a.m. Sunday while still wearing his black and gold superhero costume. A bullet-proof vest and carrying two cans of pepper spray. Fodor is a member of Rain City Superhero Movement, a group of self-proclaimed superheroes who say they patrol the streets to fight crime. Fodor, the husband and father of two, is a self-proclaimed superhero who roams the streets of Seattle late at night allegedly protecting his fellow citizens (Real Life Superheroes). Fodor isn't the only one He is just one of many citizen superheroes around the country. There are even real life superheroes in our very own city of Boise. The Boise Brigade is a team of real-life superheroes that have since been on hiatus (Rafter, Dan). The Brigade's members can't fly, turn invisible, lift battleships over their heads or spit fire but they still consider themselves superheroes and they're far from alone.

Over the years, the citizen superheroes have grown more organized,