Our discussion of Heroes in the Night

The group agreed that this book gave them a lot to think about. One reader said "It took me out of my comfort zone." Everyone agreed that this subject was completely new to them, and no one had heard about Real Life Super Heroes (RLSH) before reading the book. That being said, they had much to say. Many group members felt that the RLSH did not seem prepared, mentally or physically, to meet the challenges they might encounter while patrolling the streets. Law enforcement did not always appreciate the RLSH making citizens arrests or patrolling the streets in full gear with masks. This led to a discussion of why RLSH put themselves in harm's way by trying to flush drug dealers and other riff-raff from their neighborhoods and streets. What was their motivation? One group member said "You can help people without the mask." Another quoted the an RLSH commenting about a street patrol gone wrong: "You want to help people but you can't get along with anyone else." This prompted several comments about how hard it was to understand the motivation behind the mask.
Another issue that concerned some of the group was that some of the RLSH seemed "damaged" psychologically. Several members wondered what would lead someone to run towards an unpredictable situation and put themselves in harm's way. While many RLSH do charity work: feeding the hungry and helping the homeless among the more popular activities, there are others who seem drawn to be crime fighters. Their motivation wasn't explained very well, and many of the group members had trouble working this out.
There was also general discussion of which comic book super heroes were the greatest influence on the RLSH, and on how the men and women decided on their costumes and gear. I also found a Tribune article about our very own Chicago-land RLSH http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2014-01-18/news/ct-real-life-superheroes-met-20140118_1_jewelers-row-real-life-superheroes-patchwork. All in all, the group felt they could have learned more about the RLSH lifestyle and motivation, but felt the book tried hard but was muddled.
If you have read the book and would like to comment, please feel free. I would also like to thank the group for making me feel very welcome for my fist ever book group discussion. Thank you!