Post by blackmage on Apr 9, 2012 14:23:23 GMT -5
Today I heard an interview on the radio that caught... or shall I say, STOLE my attention as I listened to this guy give his point of view of the Trayvon situation in Sanford, Florida.
He was the founder of the Neighborhood Watchgroup called, The Guardian Angels.
As I listened to him and their history, it instantly took me back to the debates, arguments, fights, and discussions on the old Real Life Superheroes forum. Here's this guy who said EVERYTHING that we were debating about and trying to figure out how to do.
He spoke about doing patrols, the legal aspects of what they did and the importance of their nightly missions as well as the limitations. They carried radios, first aid kits, and patrolled in pairs or groups but NEVER alone. They wore red berets and red clothing to identify themselves and he made it a point that each member understood that these were 'uniforms' and NOT 'costumes'... that part REALLY impressed me because I remember we had a forum thread dedicated to that discussion.
They NEVER carried firearms or lethal weapons.
One of the most important actions he took upon going on patrols was the establishment of a relationship with local law enforcement and he ensure that EACH member of his team understood that they were subordinate to them.
He spoke about their early beginnings in which they functioned as the eyes and ears for local law enforcement and how they evolved into becoming active participants by intervening into certain situations until the police could arrive. Only certain members had that authority and they were trained as they moved up in the ranks of their organization.
Their success was proven by keeping track of crime statistics in areas that they functioned in which also helped the growth of their membership. He/They then decided to come together as a recognized group and formed a non-profit organization (something else we spoke about). Now they have chapters all over and they are highly respected.
While no organization is perfect, I offer this one as something intriguing to research and learn from. The idea of this entity makes up a powerful piece of the essence of Real Life Superheroes.
There are RLSHs that function best under the 'streetlights' of public attention, for them, this would be worth reviewing.
There are also RLSHs that function best when the 'streetlights' are off and the public is ignorant to their existence... for them, this would simply be a great read.
To learn more about them:
www.guardianangels.org/index.php
I would really like to hear the opinions on this organization from RLSHs.
-Blackmage
He was the founder of the Neighborhood Watchgroup called, The Guardian Angels.
As I listened to him and their history, it instantly took me back to the debates, arguments, fights, and discussions on the old Real Life Superheroes forum. Here's this guy who said EVERYTHING that we were debating about and trying to figure out how to do.
He spoke about doing patrols, the legal aspects of what they did and the importance of their nightly missions as well as the limitations. They carried radios, first aid kits, and patrolled in pairs or groups but NEVER alone. They wore red berets and red clothing to identify themselves and he made it a point that each member understood that these were 'uniforms' and NOT 'costumes'... that part REALLY impressed me because I remember we had a forum thread dedicated to that discussion.
They NEVER carried firearms or lethal weapons.
One of the most important actions he took upon going on patrols was the establishment of a relationship with local law enforcement and he ensure that EACH member of his team understood that they were subordinate to them.
He spoke about their early beginnings in which they functioned as the eyes and ears for local law enforcement and how they evolved into becoming active participants by intervening into certain situations until the police could arrive. Only certain members had that authority and they were trained as they moved up in the ranks of their organization.
Their success was proven by keeping track of crime statistics in areas that they functioned in which also helped the growth of their membership. He/They then decided to come together as a recognized group and formed a non-profit organization (something else we spoke about). Now they have chapters all over and they are highly respected.
While no organization is perfect, I offer this one as something intriguing to research and learn from. The idea of this entity makes up a powerful piece of the essence of Real Life Superheroes.
There are RLSHs that function best under the 'streetlights' of public attention, for them, this would be worth reviewing.
There are also RLSHs that function best when the 'streetlights' are off and the public is ignorant to their existence... for them, this would simply be a great read.
To learn more about them:
www.guardianangels.org/index.php
I would really like to hear the opinions on this organization from RLSHs.
-Blackmage
