It's times like these that I like to escape into fiction

There's no escaping the unrest in the world of late.

The riots in Baltimore.

The earthquakes in Nepal.

The earthquake was devastating.  And awful.  Of course some Christians have always taken this opportunity to recruit.

The situation in Baltimore is far more unsettling.  Why?  Because this was man made.  And awful.

But before I get into that, let me mention this.

I really hate violence.  Now yes, I threaten violence all the time.  But seriously, me threatening violence is like a snowball threatening fire.  Pointless.  (Picture a T-Rex punching someone.  Done laughing?  Yeah, that's me)  But on the whole I really don't like violence.  I really don't like violent movies or TV shows.

But I love comic book superhero movies.

from www.showbiz411.com

Are they violent?  Of course.

But there is something else.  The violence makes sense there.  There are good guys and bad guys.  The fighting is necessary for the bad guys to get their punishment and to save humanity.

from fictspedia.wikia.com

In the movie world things are clear cut.  The Avengers and Harry Potter and Katniss Everdeen are good.  Death Eaters, Hydra and President Snow are bad.

Even with Daredevil (and MUCH darker Marvel property), there is a clearer line between good and evil.

In reality there really isn't a distinction between good and evil.  While there has been some startling police brutality, I know that not every cop is bad.  And while peaceful protest may have disintegrated into riots, I'm sure that a few rioters were there for an excuse to riot and loot.  This isn't District 13 vs. President Snow.  This is something with no clear right answer.  It makes me sick to think that the police is beating African American citizen just because they can.  Just because they have the power.  It also breaks me heart to see the rioting and violence from the other side.  (I read an article about how white bystanders were verbally harassing peaceful protest marchers.... but of course I can't find it to link it)

I know that the police brutality toward the African American population is frightening.  I'm also not a fan of rioting as a way of getting your point across.  But being a 40 year old not poor white woman I don't have much of a leg to stand on in any of my opinions.

I hate to admit it, but in the wake of violence that seems to never end, violence that I personally can't make sense of I just want to curl up into a ball and cry.  I remember feeling this way during the first Iraq war.  I remember feeling this way when I was young.

I don't know what I can do to fix anything.  Honestly, I don't think there is anything that I can do.

So Instead, I'm going to watch the Avengers.  I know that Hulk will smash,  Captain America will be a good citizen, and that Tony Stark will be a billionaire, playboy philanthropist.  I know that they will fight against evil.  And I know that evil will be pretty darn evil.  No shades of gray.