The Initiative Announces POWER UP TOUR

The last couple entries on this blog have been about the arrest of Bee Sting, currently in jail for pulling a shotgun on a motorcyclist outside of Flint, Michigan. The entry previous to this is an account by his team mate, Justicar.

Although Bee Sting has yet to go to trial, available evidence (Facebook photos, news reports, team mate's eyewitness account) suggests that this was about an ounce away from being the very worst RLSH scenario. Bee Sting could have easily shot himself, the person he was fighting (who, unless proved otherwise, was only in violation of a noise ordinance), or accidentally shot a bystander or responding officer instead of the empty trailer he hit when the shotgun went off. 

The big question now is...what happens next?

One group that has been working on a solution to incidents like this is the Initiative, a group that has chapters in NYC, Virginia, and North and South California. I recently interviewed one of the group's founders, Zero, about the recent events and the Initiative's plans for the Power Up Tour. He explained the ins and outs of the program and how it is designed to help us from reading about explosive stories like this in the future. 

Tea Krulos: Zero, we've had a couple of troubling incidents over the past couple of months that have painted a pretty negative portrait of the community watchdog. The first is a well known case, nationally-- George Zimmerman shooting an unarmed youth named Trayvon Martin after following him for "looking suspicious." 

And then, and this is closer to home for RLSH and X-ALTS-- we had the case of Bee Sting confronting a motorcyclist with a loaded shotgun, reportedly over a noise issue.

How have these incidents affected what you do and what other people with similar goals do?

Well, as of right now I'd say they really haven't, but bear in mind that this Bee Sting incident just happened a few days ago and so far it's remained pretty low profile on the news. I don't expect that to last very long. Actually, I personally believe it's only a matter of time until someone of note connects the two incidents together and someone raises a campaign against any kind of citizen self-empowerment. 

That's really sad, and more than a little alarming in a world where a lot of people are expressing a distrust in their government, and having that distrust backed up by cases of excessive use of force, wrongful death and just a callous disregard for humanity in some law enforcement.

That said, I don't really believe in absolutes. There are tons of good cops and LEO's out there. I've met quite a few. Generalization has and always will be a huge enemy of compassion, and even worse for progression as a society.

I believe that our system is failing and we're all getting hit with the fallout. I also believe that you're going to hear a lot of negative reports before you hear positive ones. That's just how the news works. We've tried to stay positive, and work on positive goals. 

Honestly, we're not worried. No one is ever going to stop us from helping and protecting people. 

Have you ever felt like, hey, this is all too crazy, I should just quit and leave it up to the cops/ law enforcement? 

Sure, all the time. There's always that part of you that wishes you could just live your life and rely on someone else for protection; but then you see something happening right in front of you, and you can't turn away. You have to do something. And then you do the math and realize it's happening all over. 

Stuff like that, you can't UNsee. 

After a few times of successfully diffusing a conflict that might have blown up into something much larger, you develop a taste for it. Wearing a badge, being under someones thumb and enforcing someone else's politics upon people, that was never for us. Call it grassroots. I believe that a safe society is one where all are capable of watching out for each other. I don't believe that's a polarizing issue, really. 

Protecting our fellow human beings is all we want to do. That and finding new and innovative ways to help people. I think we are approaching a New Renaissance of Necessity; Creativity, Compassion, and Action. Lines are about to be crossed, definitions blurred, boundaries demolished. 

Everyone keeps saying the future is bleak, but I say it's an exciting time to be alive.

The Initiative is announcing the 2012 Power Up Tour. Can you give us a brief overview of what the goals of the tour are and how it will be carried out?

The POWER UP TOUR 2012 is an Initiative Collective nationwide project to bring not only empowerment, proper training, and confidence to Neighborhood Watch and Block Guardians, but also accountability and transparency. After the arrest of Bee Sting, Phoenix Jones and of course the ever-present and looming implications of the Trayvon Martin case, we feel that it's time to bring the power back where it belongs: The People. 

We will be launching a fully functional website on June 1st, in tandem with a physical tour in which we contact each and every PD Community Affairs office and established Block Watch in our respective cities and organize meetings. These meetings will introduce the site, give a tutorial, and drop off our PowerPack… a brief list of solid, low cost resources for initial training and resources to get people started, or to give them momentum to continue their efforts to protect their loved ones and their neighborhoods responsibly. 

From there, they can use the website to report crime anonymously, track crime patterns, build block watches, trade skill training between professionals and communicate with each other and their precinct's Community Affairs offices. In addition, we will be building strong communication and trust between not only ourselves and the community, but as we move from neighborhood to neighborhood, the community itself. As they teach and learn from each other, they will build confidence in themselves and their skills in practical self defense, medical assistance, legalities and most importantly for this kind of work, non-violent communications. 

And as they learn, so will the Initiative. We all teach, we all learn, we all prosper. 

And how will this help prevent incidents like the one with Bee Sting, George Zimmerman, or other RLSH or neighborhood watch group who have been arrested or made bad decisions? 

I think the problem with a lot of issues like these is not enough focus on non-violent conflict resolution techniques. In fact, a lot of people scoff at the idea because they have never seen just how effective these techniques can be. 

Going at an argument with personal attacks, baseless commands or just plain rudeness is like taking a jackhammer to build an ice sculpture. The only way to GET someone to understand is to put aside your ego and try a little understanding yourself. 

People who act erratic or irritate you are most often coming from a place of pain. If you contribute to their defenses by acting offensive, you feed a fire. You don't put one out. 

With a program like the Power Up Tour, we're going to try to put into place a skill trade system which will allow people to train each other in their respective fields, as well as keep people up to date with free or low-cost training resources. This method of facilitating free training will lead to stronger skill sets, which will give people a better grasp on actual technique and eliminate the overcompensation that often happens with the undertrained and overzealous. 

There are many facets and peripheral goals of the Power-Up Tour, but the skill trade is one of my favorites. Just the idea of "trade anything" always leaves me excited, and I hope that it gets people thinking about the possibility of living outside the box even further. 

At it's base, what we're doing here is creating a central communications hub, a skill trade system, and an quantifiable recruiting pool. Then we're physically going from block to block to establish a real-time, face to face connection with PEOPLE. This is something that is important, as it's really easy to forget that there are a whole lot of people behind all of those little avatars on the internet. We need to re-connect. 

Again, as with any project the Initiative does, we wouldn't be presumptuous enough to think that this is THE solution to save the world… It's just us putting what we know to work to get something started. If this whole thing crashes and burns, but someone ends up making a better resource because of it, we will have done our part. That's all I want. 

How can people get involved with this project if they want to participate?

Even "Superman" couldn't be everywhere at once. But do you know who can? ...EveryONE.

Literally EVERYONE can get involved in this project. Check out the site, make a profile, find a block watch near you. List your skills, certifications, anything legal you want to teach or learn to make a stronger and safer community. 

The skill trade sections are Fitness, Conflict Resolution, Legal, Medical, Self-Defense, Miscellaneous Professional and Safety Resources. 

In addition, if people really believe in this and want to go the extra mile, they can always grab the PowerPack and go talk to Community Affairs and block watches to introduce them to the site and how it allows for better communication. No one has to put in any money, or subscribe to anything. There is no allegiance to organizations, no papers to sign, no promises to keep. 

It's just a social contract and people working with people, that's all. 

The REALLY sweet thing is how this opens the doors to something that has been going on in professional circles for a long time, but never really utilized on a game-changing level; Skill trade can get people better jobs, and strengthen us as a people overall, regardless of it's connection to block watches. 

Not only can you, say, trade some training in a skill you have to get better at self defense, you can also tap into the "Pro Skills Misc" section to pick up some skills to trade for other skills. The possibilities are endless, all working towards making us stronger as a people, and more confident in our private lives. 

Anything else you want to say to anyone reading this about these crazy times we live in?

Yeah. Just breathe. We will make it through together. 

Trust Yourself.

NYI: Trial by Mud

Mud champs: L-R, Snipe, Zero, Short Cut after the sparring session.

ALSO- CALIFORNIA INITIATIVE OPENS AS THIRD INITIATIVE BRANCH

New York Initiative members Zero, Short Cut, Snipe, Lock, Adro and Thre3 had a sparring session slated recently and rather than let the rain deter them, they drew a circle in the mud and began to spar.

Towards the end of the four hour session, after they "had beaten the tar out of each other," says Zero, and Snipe caught some photos of the grappling challenge.

Lock, left, and Short Cut throw down

"It poured all day, it was incredible," says Zero."The pictures don't even do this day justice- the smell of the rain, the white, foggy atmosphere, the feel of the mud between our toes."

The NYI was featured in the recently aired HBO documentary Superheroes and since then has had a mass number of people asking to sign onto the team. Zero explained to Heroes in the Night that the team is in the process of interviewing these prospects. "We're being extremely selective and imposing some specific rules for recruitment, plus a preliminary evaluation," He says.

Zero, left, grapples with Adro

It was also revealed that the third branch of the Initiative, the California Initiative (CAI) is now open and being ran by Bay area couple Night Bug and Rock N Roll. Heroes in the Night got a chance to meet these two at HOPE 2011. We also previously reported on Virginia Initiative(VAI)operated by Death's Head Moth and Ira Ui'Raghallaigh HERE.

All three groups are working on recruitment and training.

Night Bug (far left) and Rock N. Roll (far right) of the CAI with Good Samaritan, a RLSH from the LA area

Rock N. Roll in action leading a free women's self defense class

The VIRGINIA INITIATIVE

NEW INITIATIVE CHAPTER SETS UP IN THE SEVEN CITIES

Heroes in the Night has reported a few times on the New York Initiative (NYI), a Brooklyn based group that started with four room mates who formed a crime fighting and community outreach team, and now has expanded to over a dozen members in the five boroughs.

A new partnership has led to the formation of the Virginia Initiative (VAI), based in the Seven Cities area of Southeast Virginia (the internet tells me these seven cities are- Norfolk, Chesapeake, Hampton, Newport News, Portsmouth, Suffolk, and Virginia Beach.)

The group was founded by Death's Head Moth (DHM for short) and Ira Ui'Raghallaigh, and includes two other prospective members. The VAI is actively hoping to recruit more members to help them cover the seven cities. Heroes in the Night recently conducted an e-mail interview with Ira Ui'Raghallaigh, and excerpts from this interview follow.

I started by asking Ira about his unique name. He explains:

"In traditional Latin scripture 'Ira' was the name of the demon representing the cardinal sin wrath, something I'm frequently guilty of as I have a very short temper. It's one thing to call yourself 'WRATH' and to sound like a batman villain, but aside from sounding like some vaudevillian boxer or thug, Ira Ui'Raghallaigh just has an unsettling, badass ring to it in my opinion.

Ui'Raghallaigh is the Gael spelling of my family name. It's pronounced O'Riley. Again I take great pride in my heritage and know everything about my family. Customs agents butchered our name and turned it into 'Riley' but I'm taking the name back. Also I think it coincides well with the message I want people to get from what I do: take pride in where you come from, and take care to preserve what's yours. That to me is very important and one of the main reasons I do what I do."

Ira Ui'Raghallaigh

Ira calls himself an X-ALT (as opposed to a RLSH) and says this path began for him when he became angered by increasing gang presence in the Seven Cities. He began with his research and studying of gangs.

“I spent countless hours studying nothing but gang activity and organized crime in Virginia and North Carolina and compiled a wealth of information including gang markers, tags, terminology, identifiers, locations, etc., all for the sake of interest. It wasn't until I started hearing about isolated incidents in downtown Norfolk, my stomping ground, that I decided to start snooping around. It wasn't anything I got overly enthusiastic about to the point that I went out armed to the teeth, more just a 'shits going down an I'm gonna see what's up' kind of deal, Guardian Angels foot patrol type stuff, but something about walking the streets, checking around corners, looming through parking garages and scouting with a pair of binoculars from roof tops of buildings seemed all too charming to just make a once in a while deal. At first, admittedly, it was more about the thrill.”

His first patrols were with friends and were slow, but eventually he saw action.

"One night I just happened to be in the right place at the right time and got into a fisticuffs with a guy who was standing as a look out while another guy attempted a mugging. When the other guy saw I had the upper hand I guess he assumed they were screwed and he fled and left his buddy behind.

The victim got in her car and hauled ass but by the time I cleared three flights of stairs down and across the neighborhood I realize I had possibly just prevented a robbery or worse a murder and the rush was so intense all I could do was laugh."

Ira then stumbled upon fellow Virginian Death’s Head Moth.

"I found him (online)and thought 'this guy is either batshit insane or really has the brass to put on spandex and a mask to go out and do what I've been TRYING to do for three years now.' I thought of donning a mask and going out 'crimefighter' style but figured I had a ways to go before I was on his level.

So a few years later after a conversation with Zero (of the NYI) I got DHM's contact number in order to make a connection with someone who, presumably, was at least relatively closer to me than the guys in the NYI. After talking to him for a few minutes I found out that he moved right down the street from me. The shock was indescribable. I felt then like it was kinda meant to happen. Zero told me he was putting DHM and I in charge of what would eventually be the VA initiative and he had no idea DHM had moved so close to me. I'm a firm believer in fate and if that whole scenario doesn't say something, what does?"

Death's Head Moth

As communication continued between Virginia and New York, the concept of a Virginia Initiative grew. Ira explains-

"I was hesitant to talk to Zero about handing us our own branch because he is very particular about who he trusts carrying that affiliation [the Initiative], as he very well should be. Zero and I have spoken for the past year or so about our line of work to the point that he knows I mean business. After meeting DHM it was clear that the most reasonable thig to do was expand the reach of the Initiative so he named us the head. He also knows through DHM that I'm about my business so for him there was little question that, paired with DHM, I was capable of starting a branch here."

Ira also talked about the relationship between the two groups-

"There isn't a lot that sets us apart, lest you count the distance. There is a different type of criminal element that exists here. This area therefore needs a different type of 'hero'. We're not the guys in the NYI and never will be, but so long as we keep close contact and work with them to spread out message and recruit new help not just along the east coast but nation wide I promise you this: those in the 7 cities who live their lives to do others harm, on a great or small scale all the same, will have something to fear and look out for. With the help of the NYI, the VAI will do whatever it takes to bring a greater sense of order to not just our community but also to those around us."

Some of the members of the NYI

Ira also talked about some of the VAI's goals:

"We'd like to build a healthy relationship with local law enforcement to the point that we don't have to worry about cops stopping us for snooping around violent neighborhoods at 3am. I want the VA initiative to be something that people accept, that will make them feel a little bit safer. So they know when the bogey man is right behind them as they walk to their cars late at night there's an even bigger predator right behind him/them who has been hunting them for a long time. That's what we do: we hunt. We're not just out there HOPING to find something to take part in, we scout these areas, we have statistics charted and names on a list. We have the face of sexual predators and the address of repeat offenders. We narrow all criminal activity of one particular type to one point and corral all those in question into one location to make it easier to spot them. I can't give away too much but let me just say that, all parties considered, the NYI and the VAI are a hell of a force to be reckoned with."

Ira also states a main goal for the group is recruitment.

"Our main area of focus for the time being is recruitment of new members. There are 7 cities in our region and all of them need to be swept, thoroughly. It will take a lot more than the power of four to deal with our mess."

HERO PROFILE #66: Z

[Introducing: X-ALTS]

Operates out of: Unknown

Activities: Patrolling, crime fighting

Quote: "Then, one day, I’m talking to him on the phone and he says he’s not going to be Z anymore. He says the persona doesn’t fit him anymore. He has a new one. He’s not sure what’s going to happen to Z, maybe he’ll pass it on to someone else, but he’s moving on."

Author's notes: In yesterday's write up, "Introducing X-Alts," I explained how Z had adopted a new persona, Zero, and passed his old persona onto a new Z. This then is the profile for "Z-2."

RETCON: The original Z was profile as Hero Profile #30, which has been "retconned"- changed to reflect his new persona with his new name and an updated picture.

INTRODUCING: THE X-ALTS

By Tea Krulos

This blog, and the book tied into it, studies the subject of “Real Life Superheroes”(RLSH) – people who invent their own persona and step out into the real world in a quest of crime prevention, crime intervention, or charity and humanitarian efforts.

Not everyone associated with the RLSH community has been comfortable with the “RLSH” branding, though.

“I used to straight up hate the term.” Says Zero, a founding member of the New York Initiative. He used to be known as the single letter “Z,” but recently switched personas to “Zero.”

“I'm still a bit uncomfortable with it, as it refers to the self as both "super" and a "hero,” Zero says, adding, “Whatever your beliefs or philosophies about that, no one in the community can deny that the term has caused some massive problems and misunderstandings. Over time, I started to see it as either one of two things: a misnomer for some, and a lifestyle choice for others.”

Zero and others have long looked for a term that describes what they do, minus the superhero imagery.

“I think that by offering a new term to those that want to operate parallel to the RLSH community and within it without being pigeonholed by it, we can open a new door for people interested in the work but not all the bells and whistles.”

Zero believes he has found that term, and explained it in an announcement:

“ As you know, I changed personas in light of a shift in personal views, and overall disposition. I figure it's time to step forward and, in the interests of transparency and truth, step up to the plate to represent this community.

“That being said, if I'm going to take part in this community, I think it best that we move to make it more accessible to everyone that wants to help, not just the mask and cape crowd. This is why when I recently saw a post on Facebook by an RLSH called Night Bug concerning a personality type known as "Extreme Altruism" (Or X-ALT, the term coined by Night Bug), I saw the possibility to finally put this argument to rest for some of us who have never been comfortable with the term.

“So, to make this nice and short... New and old RLSH alike, allow me offer an alternative to the RLSH brand, presented to you as a parallel designation, not a further schism to the community. I believe that by making this more accessible to the public, we can get some real change done.

“And to the naysayers who want to tell me that this has been done and done again, I say yeah, it has. But it's worth a shot.

This is Zero, and I am an X-ALT.”

The posting Zero refers to is an article by science writer Andrea Kuszewski who penned an article that has been heavily circulated between RLSHs online titled “Addicted to Being Good? The Psychopathology of Heroism.” The article examines people with traits of extreme altruistic tendencies (or as Kuszewski labels them, X-Altruists) and compares them with sociopaths. She finds that the two share many traits, with the key difference being that the sociopath acts in their own interest, while the X-Altruists act in others’ interests. You can read the article HERE.

Zero explains the term has a tie in to the X-Men comics, but the title isn’t as grandiose as the “superhero” label.

“It's also somewhat of a nod to the X-gene, so people that still enjoy the connection to comic fiction can have a term that doesn't automatically, and by proxy, claim anything fantastical or insinuate that they're calling themselves heroes.” Zero says. “Just a little different by nature or nurture. I personally believe it's high time we have a choice so that some of us can move on beyond terms and into real understanding of the work cut out for us.”

Zero (left) with Thre3 in New York

NEW YORK INITIATIVE UPDATE

The team Zero is part of- the New York Initiative- was featured in a cover story I wrote for the New York Press in July 2010. At that point the team was a group of four, crammed into a small Brooklyn apartment- Zero, Zimmer, Lucid, and Tsaf.

The group has now not only moved to into a bigger space, but membership has tripled. Dark Guardian is a martial art instructor, and one of the original RLSHs of New York City. After he and the NYI resolved some differences, he joined the team. New members also include Samaritan, Blindside, BattleStar, Skinner, Short Cut, Shade, and Thre3. Members are spread out through four of the five boroughs, with one member in New Jersey.

The group works together to train, do patrols, security, and humanitarian and outreach programs. Their mission statement reads:
“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.”

The New York Press article generated a lot of interest and the NYI received requests from documentary makers, hopeful reality show producers, local news and radio, and a host of others. However,the NYI made only one commitment- to be filmed for Michael Barnett and Theodore Jame’s documentary Superheroes, which catches the team in action on the streets of Brooklyn. The film is hoped to be released in some capacity this Summer.

Zero reflects on the period captured in the film as somewhat dark days when the team was just trying to get by. The new NYI is more public and community friendly. They’re even looking into getting non-profit status.

In another entry in the “don’t believe the civil war” hype, Zero says the NYI has a “work in progress” trying to bridge gaps and communicate with the Rain City Superhero Movement, whose most famous member is Phoenix Jones. The two groups have been exchanging ideas, particularly with Rain City’s Red Dragon and Blue Sparrow.

Members of the NYI, (L-R): Blindside, Samaritan, Zero, Thre3, Dark Guardian

Z-2

In a mysterious twist, Zero also revealed that his “Z” persona had been passed on as a legacy to a second person, an unknown person operating in an unknown city.
Zero vouched for the second Z-

“He’s definitely someone I know, and he's definitely no new kid on the block when it comes to this work.” Zero assures. “He's not a member of the NYI. I do trust him with the name, as he has proven time and time again to have more sense than I had at his age, and both the drive and the skills to carry on the DIY nature of my idea of Z.”

Although the days of Z were over for Zero, the persona was developed enough that he wanted to see it live on.

“It's partially an experiment and partially a belief of mine that like a shaman, we all take on our ideal faces and become philosophy incarnate.” Zero says. “For me the idea of Z was dead, but through a figuratively alchemical mix of both timing and progression of character, the new Z was there and perfectly aligned to Become. Of course, this is all very dramatic, but if you're any kind of philosopher, you'll realize the weight of an identity. Sometimes they can bring you so far you don't have the heart to let them die.”

I also had a chance to exchange e-mails with the newly christened Z, who explained that he first encountered Zero on one of the RLSH forums.

“My first impression was that he was kind of a dick, and I guess I was right. But it wasn’t a bad thing. Being a dick sometimes can have definite advantages.” Z says of his initial reactions. “Anyway, I sort of took to him because he seemed like the most legitimate of anyone I saw. Looking at him, listening to him, talking with him - I could tell this guy was the real deal.”

Z talked more on the advantages of being blunt.

“Saying ‘Maybe you should get a bulletproof vest, just in case’ doesn’t hit as hard as ‘Are you stupid? Spend it on a vest or you’re going to die.’ It’s just a matter of not skirting around what needs to be said. I respected the hell out of that - his willingness to take some criticism or dislike as long as he got the (expletive) point across.”

In one conversation, Zero told the future Z that he was adopting the new Zero persona, but hinted he wanted to pass the Z mantle on.

“I said I knew I could be Z better than anybody, and I said Z is somebody who needs to exist. He was hesitant at first.” Z says. “But after a long while, he said ‘Do you still want Z?’ Naturally, I was down, so that’s when it happened. I had the name and the identity to reflect who I was.”

Z also explained the legacy of who Z is in the RLSH world.

“See, to me, Z is like the dark side of the movement.” Z says. “Not in a vengeance and murder way at all. But being Z isn’t about being a ‘super hero.’ It’s not about wearing tights and being recognized for your deeds. It’s about actually making a difference, whether people notice or not. And that’s how it should be. I’m not hating on the brightly colored guys. The charity types and whatnot. But that’s not what I’m trying to do.”

“I’m not a Real-Life Super Hero. I’m an X-ALT. I’m not going for the comic book style anymore; I’m living in reality, with a twist. I’m here to help, no matter what. No matter the opposition, support, notoriety, or lack of it. I’m just doing what I can. But I will admit: it’s hella fun.”

The New Z
Tomorrow: Profiles on Z, Night Bug, and our first "retconning" of a profile.

HERO PROFILE #30: Zero

((Profile Retconned 03/10/11))
[Introducing: X-ALTS]

Formerly known as: Z (See also "Z-2")

Operates out of: Brooklyn

Team affiliation: New York Initiative

Quote: "Justice is God. And we all know She moves through all things."

Author's notes: In the NYI's Brooklyn headquarters right now, where I've been admiring their assembled gear, skateboards, working space, library, and samples of polycarbonate samples sent by their gadgeteer, Victim.
Hitting the street later, hoping to do a more substantial blog tomorrow afternoon.

Updated: Read an entry about Z/ Zero Here: http://heroesinthenight.blogspot.com/2011/03/introducing-x-alts.html