“Be the change you want to see in the world.” Mahatma Gandhi

Captain Australia’s Crime Fighting Journal, Entry#77

I patrolled last night for 10 hours.  The young man who has been helping me take video of my experiences was again unavailable – his life is changing now, and I’m finding it harder to convince him to spend a night walking the streets in support of my Mission.  (Again, if you are based anywhere in Australia and would have an interest in either teaming up to patrol your city – or to help by being my videographer while we patrol – please email me at helpme@captainaustralia.net).  My written diary is fine, but video can be a very powerful way to share what I do.

I began my patrol in Brisbane, in the late evening.

With no clear objective, I visited the drug and prostitution hot-spots in the Valley.  I spoke to a few down-and-outers, sharing with them my views on finding a positive road to walk, but encountered no crime or active evil.

I then progressed into the city.  I ran into a small group of young men engaged in a dispute.  They were wearing their metro-sexual uniforms, but clearly just young blokes letting their mongrel out under the influence of a bit of booze.  I stopped and spoke calmly to them, mediating a solution to their dispute.  They seemed quite bemused by this – but at the same time, it was not difficult to re-direct their hostility into constructive dialogue.

I found my homeless friend Walter again.  This time he was not alone, he was sitting with a very old aboriginal man (regrettably I couldnt understand a single word he said, so I didn’t catch his name).   While we were talking, one of the young men from the earlier dispute approached me, and mentioned that things were really terrible down at the Gold Coast.  He was about to catch the train home, and invited me to travel with him.  I accepted.

We spoke at length on that long train ride.  More than an hour.

We talked about Good and Evil.  We talked about how easy it is to take from others, how it is almost a defensive strategy that we are born into – a competitive white commercialist driver that urges us to take take take, without really pausing to think.  We talked about short-sightedness and the greater good.

I hope I got through to you, mate.  I really do.

We parted ways later at Surfers Paradise, where I patrolled for about 4 hours.  I met dozens of young people, and had the opportunity to talk about my Quest.  Encouragingly, none of these kids were rude or violent.  Some nights I’ve had young groups of men actively hurl abuse at me, until I confront them.  But last night, these kids were very sweet, friendly and engaging.  This gives me a great deal of hope for our collective future.

There was only one incident of violence.  I saw a small semi-circle of people around two fighters across the street from one of the low-rent nightclubs.  One of the men had his shirt off, and blood on the side of his face.  Both were either islanders or kiwis.  In the dark I couldnt tell.  The security staff across the street at the club were just watching and joking to one another.  Of the circle of onlookers, they were mostly silent – some even filming it on their mobile phones (if any of you read this and have video you can send me, please email reportacrime@captainaustralia.net)

I ran right into the middle of it, and pushed the combatants aside.  They did stop brawling and thankfully didn’t team up to attack me (an outcome that I was braced for, but defending from two heavy guys with their gander up on my left & right would not have been fun).  They seemed quite amazed, and thankfully, I think the very strangeness of it was enough to disarm them.

I was looking back and forth at them and speaking loudly, urgently, but also respectfully, “Gentlemen !  Stop this !  Gentlemen !  Is this really who you are !?  Is this really who you want to be ?!”

They seemed to genuinely think about this.  There was some laughter from the onlookers, but at that point four policemen broke into the circle and separated the group.  I was lucky – one of them took me aside and spoke to me, but he did not require me to identify myself or to unmask, he just asked a few cursory questions and then moved on.

I hope that as people start to see me engage these kind of situations, they begin to understand – we all recognise the world is off-track, but we each individually have to BE the change that we want to see.  If someone is behaving badly, the answer is not to ignore them, or to attack them or to condemn them.  You have to engage them respectfully and firmly, and try to find a positive outcome.

If enough of us stand up and do this, we can change the world.

I had to wait until just after sun-up for the first train back to Brisbane.  I got home at around 8:30am, so tired I could barely think straight.

One noteworthy point – I’ve worked out a handy way to change from Captain Australia into my secret identity while on the move.  I’ve lined the inside of my uniform with fabric, so I can flip it inside out and hang it over my belt, so in the dark it just looks like I am a chubby guy in a tracksuit.  I pull my fatigues out and lower the hem over the boots – so the only real giveaway is what appear to be bright yellow shoes.