Okay, OBVIOUSLY Police Should Not Be Using the Punisher Logo

Honestly, this should never have been up for debate. And yet Solvay police in upstate New York claim to find nothing wrong with using the controversial Marvel character’s logo.

“The Punisher symbol on the patrol vehicles of the Solvay Police Department, while similar to the symbol featured in Marvel comics, is our way of showing our citizens that we will stand between good and evil,” Chief Allen Wood and Lt. Derek Osbeck said in a statement.

Right… but this is the vigilante character who notoriously uses “murder, torture, extortion and kidnapping to battle crime.” Do I really have to point out why this is a bad idea?

Well, just in case, let’s get into it. After the senseless killings of citizens like Trayvon Martin, Eric Garner and Michael Brown – inspiring the Black Lives Matter movement – perhaps it’s not the best idea to celebrate a comic book anti-hero who uses murder to attain “justice.”

Hell, even the Punisher’s creator, Gerry Conway, thinks it’s a bad idea for cops to glorify him. “He’s a complex morally compromised anti-hero, not to be emulated by cops,” he posted on Twitter. And, excuse my ignorance, but weren’t the cops in “Batman” against the caped crusader because of his vigilante justice? But we want to celebrate the Punisher… I feel like I’m missing something.

In spite of all that, Solvay police stood firm in their support of the logo. Their statement also read, “There is clearly a war on police and the criminal element attempting to infiltrate and destroy our communities, lifestyles and quality of living requiring men and women willing to stand up to evil and protect the good of society.” Right. Because all of the evidence clearly points to a war being declared on the police.

Their statement comes after the Catlettsburg Police Department in Kentucky removed the Punisher’s logo from their vehicles following backlash.

Solvay Mayor Ron Benedetti says he didn’t know about the decals before they went up on the cars. But don’t worry, now that he’s aware he’s going to “look into it” and they’ll come off if he deems them “inappropriate.”

Yeah, you take your time with that investigation, Beneditti. Hmm… should police idolize a murderer? Clearly a lot of grey area to wade through with that one…