I’ve never liked fighting. Fighting to me, never seemed to have a purpose. I absolutely hated it. Even when I was boxing I did not like the “sparring”. The only reason I did spar with someone was because it was a great workout, the release of stress was needed, and my sparring partner was in the ring for the same reason. In the gym where I worked out I saw many men hug each other after a fight.

Fights

“There are fights a man can walk away from and then there are the other kind.” - Rory Regan*

The Hebrew word “emet” loosely means truth or judge or the judged. There is a Hebrew story of the Golem a being made purely of inanimate material to protect the people of a community. So, Vietnam Vet Rory Regan returns to Gotham. Rory’s father owns the “Rags-N-Tatters” junk shop. Rory deals with the trauma of returning home from Vietnam. The junk shop is a popular hangout for Rory’s father and friends. The mob is trying to take control of the junk shop. The criminals kill Rory’s father and his friends. All five men are electrocuted and burned. Rory is the only one alive. Rory can hear his fathers and friends’ voices in his mind. He finds a suit of rags and becomes the Tatterdemalion – a Ragman. Each patch in the suit is a soul of a criminal brought to justice. Rory can access the physical attributes of each soul as needed. This Tatterdemalion, this “Ragman” becomes the Golem for his community fighting the good fight for his home.

To fight the good fight means to nobly fight for honor, justice or for what is truly right. If both parties, feel the answer is “right” then the fight is useless. There are two sides to every coin – which one side is better than the other. Our quote today states, “There are fights a man can walk away from and then there are the other kind.” Our main purpose is to keep the peace and practice tolerance but there are times we need to keep our conscience clear. There are times we need to stand up and do what is right. Call the police when we witness people breaking into a car. Ask friends not to use hate words. Help the little old lady with the groceries. True fighting is not macho bravado with chest pumping and muscle flexing or black eyes or bloody noses. Win the battle with surprise moves. As our mothers say, “kill them with kindness.” To paraphrase Gandhi, be the change in the world.

Ragman (Rory Regan)
First Appearance: Ragman, #1 (August/September 1976), DC Comics

Creators: Robert Kanigher (writer) Joe Kubert (art)

* “A Ragged Revenge”, Ragman, #2, November 1991, DC Comics