A Nation Of Armchair Warriors

The vigilante fantasy and the heroism fantasy are of a pair. Most of us are unlikely to be action heroes, both because of circumstance and because we're pudgy middle aged dudes who lack a particular set of skills. The vigilante fantasy lets people convince themselves that their bully (and usually racist) fantasies are actually noble ones. George Zimmerman seems to have truly believed he acted nobly instead of shamefully.

Not everyone needs to be a hero, but it seems like too many people really believe they would be if only.

President Donald Trump on Monday said that he would have personally run into a Parkland, Florida., school during the shooting there earlier this month, even if he were unarmed.

"I really believe I’d run in there even if I didn’t have a weapon," Trump told governors meeting at the White House to discuss school safety and other issues.

He wouldn't have (as if he can even run) and would have been stupid to if he had.