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Date Posted: 10:27:30 11/03/05 Thu
Author: Sunshine
Subject: Angel's hero status
In reply to: Rufus 's message, "Go back to the conversation he had with Harmony post signing." on 02:41:01 11/03/05 Thu

That is the moment I finally accepted Angel as a hero and human in a way that defies mortality. He's human enough to do the one thing that Wolfram and Hart never counted on, keeping on fighting for something more than himself...and that to me makes him human enough not to need any old Shanshu
I agree completely. My opinion of the status of Angel’s hero status is certainly not dependent on where I come down on the whole Shanshu issue. I just had never considered Connor as his Shanshu and I thought it was an interesting question but it has probably been previously discussed to death or maybe no one thinks it was such an interesting question to begin with. It is the kind of thing that fans/geeks/nerds (take your pick) like me enjoy thinking about and discussing. I actually thought Angel had a true epiphany in Epiphany and that he was no longer motivated by the Shanshu or even by redemption. I believed he was fighting to make the world a less cruel and harsh place, not for some prophecy or reward. I probably viewed it in this light because I do not believe in redemption. Once you have wronged someone, there is nothing you can do to change that. All the good deeds are fine and dandy but they don’t change the initial act one iota. There is no great accountant in the sky with a debit and credit ledger where you can balance your crimes by helping orphans etc. I do believe in forgiveness but that is an act performed by the wronged, not by the perpetuator. Like Giles said, you forgive someone because they need it, not because they deserve it (i.e. not because of some action on their part). I also believe you forgive because you need it. Forgiving is as important to the one forgiving as to the one forgiven, maybe even more so. The decision to forgive is not based on any acts of the perpetuator, although those acts may help you forgive them. You cannot earn forgiveness, it must be freely given by the wronged party. (someone please take my keyboard away before I strike again – I don’t understand why I feel compelled to spew out this drivel but I do - kind of like Illyria and the computer game).

Before I lose my keyboard, one additional observation. While I admire Angel’s decision to fight, it does bring up the question (currently being addressed in Angel Season 6) of the repercussions of his action. What is Angel’s moral responsibility for the aftermath? Who has the right to make the decision that results in death and disruption for thousands? Was his action just, independent of the ends? I find this to be an incredibly timely question for citizens of the U.S.(and really all people). Where is the balance between an action to take out a brutal dictator and the seemingly inevitable chaos that will follow? Where is the proper balance between freedom and anarchy? It is a question that I have no answer for but I have given it a lot of thought recently. L.A. in season six does have a resemblance to Baghdad

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