So the boy is a huge fan of Batman. I tease him a lot about it- I mean, superheroes and masked vigilantes are the things of graphic novels and summer blockbusters, right? I mean, yeah, there's Anonymous, but the politics they hold are not always really something I can get behind. Maybe that's part of the nature of such vigilantes- how do they decide who is "good" and who is "bad"?

Well, I think most people would agree that protecting people against a serial killer is a good fucking thing, and teaching them self-defense is even better, right?

That's what the New York Initiative does:

We are individuals organized towards achieving peacekeeping objectives and humanitarian missions. This will translate into a variety of non-monetary services as unfolding events demand. Our primary goal will always be to help those in the most need to the highest ethical standard and to the maximum effect.
-New York Initiative on Facebook

They won my heart by posting an ad on Craigslist in NYC, promoting their free services (safecalls, martial arts training, improvised weapons training):

The Long Island Killer is out there. He’s a scary bastard, and it’s starting to seem like he is focusing on you pretty ladies because some people are slower to report you missing, and also because apparently the law doesn’t respect your personal choices and that means cops are slower to follow through when it comes to you. Well, I’m here to say FUCK THAT. We respect you as human beings, we believe in personal freedoms and think that you’re doing something that is absolutely your choice to do...We will react quickly and without hesitation every time, using our considerable contacts to the full extent of their reach...We care about you. We want you alive, in this world, just like everyone else. Because you’re a human being, and you are deserving of love.
Be safe out there, whatever you choose. You are no longer alone.
 -To all Ladies: Free Protection and Safety System, Craigslist

These people are fucking serious business, too. Aware that the police often drop the ball when it comes to the less privileged, and aware that the Long Island Killer (described as very likely a white man, between 20-40, financially stable and well spoken) is dropping sex workers because the law doesn't care, they are actually working to do something about it.

They were featured in a documentary called "Superheroes" and I'm really excited to see it. One of the guys wears the image of Kitty Genovese on his jacket, and they're all staunchly against one of the most criminal things humanity clings to now, especially in cities- apathy.

They're recruiting, too, and it's not just about muscle- physical therapists, medics, techies and even people skilled in advanced agriculture are encouraged to apply. It's part of a greater Real Life SuperHero network, and I think it's fucking awesome. AWESOME. It is about fucking time people self-organized and decided that if the government was going to turn away from injustice, institutionalized sexism, classism, racism, homo and transphobia, well, it was bloody well time to fight back. Check out Angle-Grinder Man who takes on wheel clamping, for example, or Foxfire, who fights to preserve natural resources, or Superbarrio, who protects the working classes, the poor, and the homeless.

I also really like that there are women actively involved in this project too, it's not just a boy's club. In the US they tend to seek out a little more publicity, while in the UK they tend to keep quiet. Both are good methods, in my opinion.

Real Life SuperHeroes.

I think I might join up.