My interview with a local reporter went very well i thought. I don't know how far the story will go, but it was a start. Interestingly enough, they allowed my father, who is a reporter at the local newspaper ( which is how the idea even got through to them!) to do the story. So it should be a very positive one. I wrote this to my father as a follow up e-mail, it is sickengly optimistic, so i thought i would share it:
Our conversation the other night, and your desire to put a faith and values spin on our city of heroes issue, has had me thinking. What are the ethics of a super hero? What is it that a super hero would value. For our shared amusement, and if the ideas help at all, I thought i might share these thoughts.
Justice, it is a word used mostly as a synonym for punishment in today's rhetoric. But to a super hero, justice is a live and active thing. Justice not only brings punishment to the wicked, but it also brings reward to those who would uphold it. In my mind, justice is the karma of the super hero world. Those who actively seek the right and the good can and should expect the right and the good be done to them. Those who actively seek the wrong or the bad can expect the wrong and the bad to return back to them. The super hero becomes then not an avenging angel exacting punishment, but rather a civil servant. Fulfilling a role in actively bringing justice to bear.
Right and wrong become very real issues to a super hero. We all know that the world is shades of gray, Questions in morality abound, but the super hero must maintain unto themselves a moral code that allows them to pierce the veil of indesicion or uncertainty. Not that they don't question their ethics, just the opposite. A super hero must be able to quickly measure an action against morality, determine its standing, whether right or wrong.
Fairness is equally important. A super hero is one who will not fall prey to pettiness or underhandedness. If for know other reason than it becomes a slippery slope which could undermine there ethical base upon which they must measure their own deeds. It is very hard to be a morally questionable super hero.
The belief in goodness is central to being a super hero. One must believe there is good in people, good in their world, and that it is something worth supporting if one wishes to be a super hero. This belief i feel is central to what we players are now doing for our game. I believe there is good here, in the people who play this game, and that protecting that good is worthwhile. Our game has become a haven for a super hero ethic that many feel is probably outmoded for the real world. But it can still flourish, and when you find good, you should strive to protect that good.
Following the belief in goodness is optimism. The belief in goodness lends itself to the belief that people can always change, and for the better. The world can always be a better place, if for the hard work of those who believe in that goodness. We can and should continue to grow and improve, learn and help others. This is what helps the good flourish and the bad whither.