de Paul Warren

It’s hard to stay calm as time goes by. Seeing random shootings with no intent other than to hurt others. Violent pranks such as drive-by paintballing. Super companies raising prices just because they can. Vandalism for the sake of boredom. Criminals suing their victims and winning… This world sucks and it’s not going to get better. The only thing that has changed over the past thousands of years is that we have become much more “civilized” in how we act uncivilized.

In an age where having super powers or just being a regular vigilante is popular, I must remain at peace. It’s one of the hardest things to do: to be a victim of injustice and turn the cheek. It’s a simple lesson but one that can’t be ignored. Once I start daydreaming about being a superhero of any kind, even for just the “I’d be cool if I could…” kind, hatred will now have an opening to get in. Who thinks of super powers like: spontaneous kitten / puppy creation, shooting laughing gas out of your eyes, or any of the carebear’s powers? It’s all super strength, super speed, and sharks with lasers on top. And when was the last time you ever daydreamed about dealing justice but you nicely captured the bad guys without hurting a single one?

And without going to the weird super powers, I could simply just be that little bit stronger than the perpetrator. Deal him my own brand of four fingered justice. Being that extra bit faster when they show a weapon. Or possibly the nonviolent method of spinning your own scheme to get them caught in their own plans. Foiling a plot… but really.

It’s not that you can’t do the above and you should just sit and take it. I’ll be one to admit that in tough situations, I’d probably freeze up. But that’s not the point. You see…

It all comes back to Hatred.

And the more you focus on it, the more you become like it.