Real Life Superheroes?

Move over Batman and Robin, there are some other vigilantes going after drug dealers: New Jersey Ninjas.

Two young men decided to dress up as ninjas and armed themselves with their collection of ninja-style weapons (swords, nunchucks and even a cross bow), and wanted to send letters warning drug dealers and users of the dangers of illegal substances after their friend was caught up in it.

While these young men may have had good intentions, what they did was dangerous. As the old Italians used to say, “Never bring a knife to a gunfight.”

Sadly, too many people see a Chuck Norris film and watch “Hidden Tiger Crouching Dragon,” 20 times and they start to think that a ninja can really flip in the air five times and dodge bullets and kill the bad guys with his sword and throwing stars.

The reality is that doesn’t happen. It might if the drug dealer laughs so hard that he cries and doesn’t see the nunchuks coming towards his head. But his fellow drug dealers will probably see it and pull out a weapon that uses ancient Chinese gunpowder.

Assuming that their aim was to scare drug dealers and users into giving up their deadly ways, it was clearly misdirected. Yet, many can see the frustrations from citizens who are in the grip of the crimes and dangers that are created by the drug world. In a world of instant entertainment, people want instant results.

While the Wild West ways may yield those instant results, it may very well create a slippery slope that can easily lead to chaos.

But hopefully this will send a message to police and elected government officials that citizens are tired of the drug war and would like to see the type of results that can only be found in action movies – the instant kind.