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Real-Life Gadgets For Real-Life Superheroes
cylonlover writes "Yes, there are real-life superheroes. And no, we're not just referring to firefighters, paramedics, and other heroic people whom we're used to seeing come to the rescue of others. We're talking about costume-wearing, identity-concealing, cool-name-having people who fight crime, pollution, or other evils in their own communities, on their own time, and at their own risk. Many of them actually patrol the city streets, ready to intervene if they see trouble brewing – and being ready includes having the right tools. Given that none of these people have Bruce Wayne's budget, Gizmag takes a look at some of the real-world gadgets they use as they go about their crime-fighting duties."
Most US states follow the castle doctrine to some extent. If someone breaks into your home and you feel threatened, you can use deadly force in defense. Some states extend the area to private property and vehicles. I know Texas, Florida and Mississippi have this kind of law, not sure about anywhere else.
Captain Sticky! To the StickyMobile!
Off to the Super Hero Retirement Home in the sky...
http://jamesewelch.wordpress.com/2009/05/14/san-diego-super-heroes/
"Flyin' in just a sweet place,
Never been known to fail..."
Actually more a fear of lack of civilization that fear of civilization. The odds of raped and killed in a state bordering Mexico is probably, what, a hundred, maybe a thousand times higher than in a more civilized area like Canada or some place in Europe.
No. Just...no.
Yes, there's a drug war between gangs in Mexico that is slaughtering a lot of bystanders. That in no way means people from Mexico are any more violent than anywhere else.
El Paso crime rate (across the border from Juarez): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crime_in_Canada#Crime_statistics_by_province_and_territory
Canadian province crime rate: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crime_in_Canada#Crime_statistics_by_province_and_territory
El Paso would fall right in the middle of Canada's provinces for most offences.
If Mexicans had guns then we'd not have to worry about the Mexicans with guns.
How do you know they are not there to do bodily harm?
How do you know they are? Unless you can prove, without a doubt, that you are acting in self-defence because there is actual, imminent and certain life-threatening events, you should not be firing a gun at someone with the intent to kill.
Most non-violent criminals won't bother entering an occupied home
Citation, else anecdotal.
Ceci n'est pas un sig.
For one, these heroes perform the exact same service as a neighborhood watch. A constantly vigilant community is by far the best deterrent to crime.
Second, most crimes against property are committed by unarmed felons against empty homes, cars, and the like. In a lot of communities in America, a criminal carrying a weapon during a crime is an extra charge filed against them (even if there is no one to use it against). So a slingshot, taser, or light weapon is very effective against such criminals (especially if being carried by a masked individual acting like a superhero - or a nutcase).
Yes, once guns enter the mix, things get decidedly more dangerous. However, to claim that a taser or light weapon is useless is a not correct. Those items may be useful, or may not (and I say this as a black belt martial artist, so I do have some training in this situation). It completely depends on the specific instance. At that point, it really becomes a personal choice: do you rescue someone from an armed assailant at risk to your own life? It is a question easily debated by us sitting behind computer keyboards, and one in which all the answers we could come up with are just options. Your choice will be different than mine, which may be different from the heroes.
However, you claim about undercover cops is invalid in America. Undercover cops (in plainclothes and without a badge) do not arrest people alone. They have uniformed police officers conduct the arrest (or participate in the arrest) specifically for that reason. In a lot of cases, the undercover officer isn't even present, to protect his identity.
For a person to maintain his or her safety, you are correct, it is best to carry a concealed weapon you are familiar with and avoid trouble. However, to be a good citizen, helping those in need requires people like those mentioned in the article, especially as police departments are no longer under any requirement to protect and server the citizenry (just for the record, I respect the police that do so without that requirement). I have a good bit of respect for these people doing what it seems like our government has given up attempting. I only wish more people had respect for those that do so, whether they wear a uniform, a mask, or a T-shirt and blue jeans.
Remember, you can't look dignified when your having fun! Don't take life too seriously, you'll never get out of it alive
Well if you care to search back far enough (2004-2005) you can find my posts right here on Slashdot talking about my deployment. I guess it's not proof, but it's as good as you'll get on an Internet forum. I suppose it's possible that I falsified a year and half of posts (subtly of course, it's not like I mention it every post or anything) just so I could appeal to authority several years later, but probably not likely. I'll admit that it goes more to "I've used deadly weapons in real life" than anything else, soldiers don't carry concealed and muggings weren't exactly a big worry....
I have black belts in Tae kwon do and Shaolin-do (which is a completely bogus martial arts "tradition", but a reasonably effective fighting style). My Tae kwon do instructor was a former cop, so the instruction tended to the more... practical. Especially in the self defense focused classes.
I'll never say that it's completely impossible that you'll ever find yourself in a position to use that gun. It would be stupid for me to claim that. I will say that the number of situation where you are likely to be able to use it to effectively defend yourself is not going to be high. You are probably more likely to get yourself hurt or killed trying to use it at an inappropriate time.
I'm not trying to insult you personally here. I don't know you any more than you know me. Maybe you've had police, military, or private security training. Maybe you're just smarter than the average bear and won't make "typical" mistakes. For you, personally, your stance may make perfect sense. But for the the average use case of the average person with no particular training or experience... A concealed firearm is probably not ever going to help them and is perhaps slightly more likely to be harmful to them.
Just my opinion. I've already made claim to knowing perhaps a bit more than the average person about the topic, but I'll never say I'm an expert. What I do know is pretty old. I haven't actively studied martial arts in nearly a decade and I'm several years out of the military. It's no skin off my nose if you disagree, but I'd appreciate it if you didn't actively accuse me of lying.
I don't need a million points of light, just two points of multi-mode fiber and a 10 Gig-E router.