I wish superheroes were real.
I always have, really, ever since I was a child. I was obsessed with these tales of men and women flying or running to save the day, with innocent civilians sustaining minor injuries, at best. I was enamored with these people of righteous attitude swooping in to save the day, whether it be a cat in a tree, a freight train gone off its rails, or taking down gangs. I loved watching heroes like Batman and Superman saving the lives of millions of people, without killing anyone. I loved it.
I've always wished superheroes were real, but it used to be out of a childlike wonder, a fun daydream I had about meeting these people, or even being these people. It was simple, clean, childish fun, the type of fun that would make me smile every time I thought about it, It was something I would talk to my friends about for fun, something that made me giddy, something that inspired my want, my need to write. That wish inspired me.
Now, I still wish superheroes were real.
But no longer is that wish founded in the childlike fondness I hold for superheroes. It is now out of necessity. Why necessity? Take a look at these names and see if you notice something:
Keith Childress
Bettie Jones
Kevin Matthews
Leroy Browning
Miguel Espinal
Tiara Thomas
Chandra Weaver
Richard Perkins
India Kager
Samuel Dubose
These are the names of unarmed people killed by police officers. More names can be found here.
There are 100 of these names, for only black people, for only the year of 2015. Which means that there are other, also unarmed, people who are not named. People of other races, people in other years, all of whom were killed by police officers.
100 names. 100 people who died. 100 families in indescribable pain, all only in 2015.
100 reasons I wish superheroes were real.
So yes, I wish superheroes were real out of necessity. Necessity to protect those of us who get shot, by the police, while unarmed. Necessity to protect those of us hurt in the riots that follow up these unarmed killings. Necessity to protect those police officers who want to truly help the people.
I wish superheroes were real out of fear. Fear that I, or any of my other, non-white friends will one day be pulled over by a police officer, and killed on site, suddenly, with no warning. Fear that during what should have been a peaceful protest, someone will suddenly get violent, and ignite the fury of the crowd, leading the protest into a riot. Fear that one day, sometime soon, the tension between the police and the people will break out into a monstrosity of a tragedy that no mere mortal will be able to stop.
I know superheroes aren't real, I know they can't be real. I know that we, regular humans, have to step up, and do these nigh on impossible things that superheroes would otherwise do. I know that we, average people, can be silent no longer, and must share our outrage with the world, so that we may incite change. I know that we, American citizens, have to stand up and declare that we will no longer tolerate these injustices committed against our people, against American people.
I know it won't be easy, because we aren't superheroes, because superheroes don't exist.
But damn, I really wish they did.
