Mayor, City Hall to blame for scourge of vigilanteism
Should the superhero, The Ringbearer be held accountable for fire he started in the housing complex in Brickstown last week, after supposedly breaking up a Tsoo safehouse? When a Freedom Squad member shorts out a transformer firing an electical discharge on an encampment of Clockwork robots, should the Freedom Squad be made responsible for a massive power outage in Skyway City, lasting over an hour? What about the big showdown between The Fearsome Five and a swarm of zombies in the sewer system three weeks ago, that caused a geyser of sludge to shoot out of all the manholes in Galaxy City? Is it realistic to blame the zombies for the smell that has yet to entirely subside in the area?
Surely, we can all remember when the eco-terrorist calling himself Faultline completely destroyed an enormous chunk of the city, following the idiotic attempt to foil his plans by a number of hotheaded crime fighters acting unilaterally. Did we forget how they completely ruined progressive and careful negotiations with Faultline, and made a huge section of Paragon, to this day, completely uninhabitable? Did these foolish do-gooders get slapped in jail for their crimes? Were there names and faces published for all to see and admonish? No, they were quietly reprimanded and secretly released without anyone knowing who they were.
But why shouldn�t they feel above the law? This is a city that coddles its heroes. This is a government that promotes vigilanteism, and the posse mentality. This is a mayor that says the ends justify the means, and I say it is time for her, and them, to go.
-written by columnist Chet Parabola, this column was the third in a seven part series, �Thanks for Nothing�, condemning superheroes and vigilanteism, appeared in the Paragon City Bugle on May 27, 2004
