By K.P. Hooker · June 22, 2010
Here is a true story that deserves writers' attention. Let's call it Kick-Ass International.
Gary Faulkner. This is a 52 year old construction worker from Colorado who, while in prison, became a Christian and believed that God came to him in a dream asking him to avenge the 9/11 attacks. He grew a beard, dressed to blend in, and went to Pakistan seven times in search of Osama Bin Laden. During his most recent visit, he was arrested carrying a sword, a pistol, night vision gear, and Christian literature just before he could cross the border into Afghanistan. He is not diagnosed with a mental illness.
As I continued to read about him in the news, I learned that this wasn't the first time he tried to be a hero. In the 80s, he worked at a meatpacking plant where many of his coworkers were illegal immigrants from Mexico. He started to notice that some of the workers were disappearing. One day he dressed as Rambo and broke into the plant to investigate while armed with a knife. One article said that he wanted to "save workers from the grinder…" Hopefully there was no truth to this fear.
Why is he like Kick-Ass? He's following his heart doing what he thinks is helping others and he's doing it with theatrics! He's not a cop, he's not military, and he probably doesn't have a lot of money. I figure one of two things about this character must be true: He's delusional and has a false sense of security and power, or he's just ready to die for his causes.
