Runninghead:TheIssueOfVigilantism

TheIssueOfVigilantism
AyannaShepard
WrittenCom10214
Prof,McDonald
April1,2016

WhenyouwatchshowssuchasBatmanorDexter,youmayonlynoticetheobviousfact
thatthereisagoodpersonkillingbadpeople.Youmaythinkthattheideabehindtheshowisnot
usuallyhighlythoughtabout.But,inrealitytherehavebeendebatesanduproarbecauseofthis
subject.Thissubjectiscalledvigilantism.Therehavebeendiscussionsonwhatitisexactly,its
placeinthemediaandhowitaffectsthecommunity.Therehavebeendebatesonthestateofits
legalityandwhatmakespeoplewanttocommittheseacts.Therehavealsobeendiscussionson
whentodrawthelinebetweenwhentheactisvigilantismorterrorism.
Vigilantismistakingthelawintoone'sownhandsandattemptingtoeffectjustice
accordingtoone'sownunderstandingofrightandwrongactiontakenbyavoluntaryassociation
ofpersonswhoorganizethemselvesforthepurposeofprotectingacommoninterest,suchas
liberty,property,orpersonalsecurityactiontakenbyanindividualorgrouptoprotestexisting
lawactiontakenbyanindividualorgrouptoenforceahigherlawthanthatenactedbysociety's
designatedlawmakinginstitutionsprivateenforcementoflegalnormsintheabsenceofan
established,reliable,andeffectivelawenforcementbody.
(LegalDictionary.thefreedictionary.com)
Vigilantismcanhaveseriouseffectsonacommunity.Becausepeoplewhotakepartin
thevigilantiactofpursuingjusticearenotactuallyqualifiedtobemembersofthejudicial
community,errorsaremorelikelytobemadewhilecommittingthisact.Forinstance,therewas
atragedyinSialkotthatwascausedbyofvigilantism.Twoyoungbrotherswerelynched

becausetheywereaccusedofbeingthieves.Alotofpeoplelookedonasithappenedanddid
nothingtostopthesituation.Afteralloftheevidencewasgathered,itturnedoutthattheboys
werevictimsofmistakenidentityandthattheywerenottherealthievesafterall.Ifthegroupof
peoplethatpunishedtheboyshadturnedthemintocustodyandletthecasebecarriedonby
judicialofficials,themistakewouldnothavebeenmadeandthosetwoboyswouldhavebeen
alive.Thisisoneofthenegativeeffectsthattakesplacewhensomeonewithnojudicialtraining
takesthelawintotheirownhands.Theactualthievesweretwoyoungboysintheirearly
twenties.Duringthethecrime,thethievestriedtorobaPCOcar.Theyshottheownerintheleg,
grabbedwhateverstashofmoneytheycouldfindandmadearunforit.Intheend,twoinnocent
boyspaidfortheircrime.

Weoftenquestionthemindsetofvigilantesandwhattheyarethinkingwhenthey
committheact.Therewasabriefinterviewthatwasabletogivealittlebitofinsightintotheir
mentalprocess.SafiretheauthorthatwrotethearticleCAUSEANDEFFECTOF
VIGILANTEJUSTICE,REF.THESIALKOTLYNCHINGTRAGEDYquestionedoneofthe
localPCOdriversabouttheincident.Safireaskedthefollowingquestion.
Evenifitisassumedforaminutethattheboyswerethieves(althoughevidencesuggests
otherwise),theboysshouldhavebeenhandedovertothePolice.Howcouldtheytakethelawin
theirownhandsandmurderthem?
Thedriverreplied,Whatistheuseifwedontbeatupthieves?ThePolicemaycatchthemand
putthembehindbars,buttheywillbereleasedinadayortwo,andthesamedacoitswillmake
ourlivesmiserableandkillourfamilymembersbasedonenmity.ThisPCOdriverbasically

saidthatifwedon'tcaptureandkillthecriminalsourselves,theywillbereleasedandterrorize
everyoneelse.Whilethismaybeoneofthereasonsforthevigilantementality,thereareothers
thatbelievethatacriminalshouldpayinmoneyorreceivetheequalamountofpainthatthey
haveinflictedonothers.
Eventhoughtheactofvigilantismcanbegruesomeattimes,mostofthetime,vigilantes
havegoodintentions.ForexamplethereisamannamedMarkWayneWilliamsthatwasarrested
becausehelikedtowatchoverthecommunitywhilewearingBatmancostume.Heworethe
batmancostumetosymbolizethatitisnotuptothegovernmenttosaveusbut,weshouldcome
togetheranddoitourselves.Vigilantesbelievethatwhentheyarecommittingtheact,theyare
doingthecommunityafavorandtakingcareofthecriminalsthemselves.
Eventhoughthereareplentyofvigilanteswhomeanwell,therearesomevigilanteswith
somenotsogoodintentions.Sometimestherearepeoplethatgetboredandtheyseekathrill.
Sometimesthosepeoplemayturntomurder.But,sincetheydon'twanttosufferthe
consequences,theywilllookforanalibi.Killingothercriminalsisthatalibi.Thatway,ifthey
getcaught,theycansaythattheyweretryingtohelpoutthecommunitywheninreality,they
werejustshamelesslycommittingmurder.(Shepard)
ThereareplentyofHollywoodmoviesthatshinelightonthevigilantelifestylesuchas
KillBillvol.1&2.Inthemovie,BeatrixKiddoIsabouttogetmarriedwhenfourassassins
stormedintoherweddingandkilledeveryoneinthechapel.Shewasshotintheheadandthe
assassinsassumedthatshewasdead.Itturnedoutthatshewasnotdeadbut,onlyinacomafor
fouryears.Whenshewokeupshehatchedaplantotraveltheworldandkillallfourassassins

andthemanthatwasthefatherofherchildandbehindthemurderplan,Bill.Intheendshewas
successfulandshegotherdaughterback.Thiswasanexampleofamoviethatglorifies
vigilantism.Whilethismoviehadahappyending,thefollowingmoviedidnot.(Thiscontains
spoilers.)InthemovieLawAbidingCitizen,amanplotsrevengeaftertwointruderscomeinto
hishome,rapesandmurdershiswifeandmurderstheirdaughter.Thisdrivesthemantotrack
thekillerdownandkillhim.Themanendsupgettingarrested,interrogatedbyanagentand
throwninprison.Fromthispointon,hebeginstomurderhiscellmate,theagentspartnerand
otherpeopledealingwiththecase.Hebegantogomad.Intheend,hewaseventuallykilled.
Thisgoestoshowthatvigilantismwillnotalwayshaveapositiveandsuccessfuloutcome.
Becausetheoutcomesarenotalwayssuccessful,thereisadebateonwhethervigilantism
shouldbelegalornot.Itislegalforapersontokilliftheyareindefenseofthemselvesorthe
directdefenceofothers.But,togooutandkillsomeonebecausetheyhavecommittedacrimeor
areabouttocommitacrimeisconsideredillegalifyoudonotthattheproperjudicialauthority.
Asignificantamountofpeopleclaimthatvigilantismshouldbepermittedwhenthegovernment
failstoenforcethelaw.Inanonlinedebate,onDebate.org,oneargumentstatesthatvigilantism
defendsnaturalrights.Theuserstatedthattherearesomecaseswherethegovernmentisnotable
toactasaprotectoroftheserightsincasessuchasdomesticabuse,selfdefenseorrape.The
personclaimedthattheonlywaytodealwiththesesituationsarewithvigilantism.Thisprovides
thevictimswithawaytoprotecttheirnaturalrights.Theotherdebatersaidthatbecausethe
UnitedStates,UnitedKingdomandEuropeanlawstatesthatthedefenderisinnocentuntil
provenguilty,punishingthedefendantwouldbeunlawful.Withoutalloftheevidenceandfacts
comingtolight,thereisnojustifiedmotivetokillthecriminaljustyet.Bydoingso,youcould

endupwiththesametypeoftragedythatoccurredinSialkot.Bothargumentshaveverystrong
prosandcons.
Alongwiththedebateoverthestateoflegalityofvigilantism,thereisalsoadebateabout
wheretodrawthelinebetweenvigilantismandterrorism.Forexample,theKuKluxKlanis
consideredbyalotofpeopletobeaterroristgroupbecausetheyhavebeencommittingcrimes
againstblacks,gaysandJewsforoveracentury.Theyhaveharassedandcommittedlarge
amountsofmurderagainstminorities.Whilealotofpeopleseethemasterrorists,otherpeople
seethemasvigilantes.Somepeopleconsiderthemvigilantesbecausetheyaretryingtocarry
outGodswillbycreatingtheall100%whiteAmericathatGodintendedittobe.Alotof
peopleconsidervigilantestobeagoodthingbecausethetheykeepthecriminalsoffofthe
streetsaswellasfillinthecracksthatthejusticesystemseemstomisswhendealingwiththe
chaosofthecourtsystem.ItservestheEyeforaneyeruleandbringsthecriminalwhatever
theybroughtuponsomeoneelse.Otherpeoplefeelthatnomatterwhattheintentofthevigilante
is,theyshouldstillbeconsideredmurderersorterroristsbecausetheystillunlawfullykilled
somebody.
Togetabetterunderstandingabouthowthecommunityfeelsaboutvigilantes,I
conductedasurveyoftwentypeople.Outofthetwentypeoplethattookthesurvey,onlyfiveof
themfeltthatvigilantismshouldbelegal.Twoofthemfeltthatitdependedonthecaseand
thirteenofthemsaidthatitshouldnotbelegalunderanycircumstances.Thefivepeoplethat
agreedthatvigilantismshouldbelegalmentionedcasessuchasTrayvonMartinandthemanthat
triedtoshootGeorgeZimmermanintheheadafterjusticehadnotbeenservedwithhiscase.
Plentyofthemfeelthathehasnotbeenhandedthepunishmenthedeserved.Thetwopeoplethat

feltthatitdependsonthecasesaidthattherewasalargegreyarea.Theyfeltthattherearesome
casesthatarebigenoughtodealwithifthecasehasnothadtherightoutcomesuchasrapeor
murder.But,withothercases,vigilantismisnotreallynecessary.Thethirteenpeoplethatsaid
thatvigilantismshouldbeabsolutelyillegalsaidthateventhoughthereareerrorsinthejudicial
system,theyshouldbetheonestohandlethecasesbecausetheyhadthepropertrainingopposed
tountrainedpeoplehandlingjusticeontheirown.OneofthesurveytakersalsomentionedthatIf
thegovernmentweretocreatealawandmakevigilantismlegal,therearealotofcrazypeople
thatcouldstartkillingpeoplewhenevertheywantedandsaythattheydiditforagoodcause,no
matterhowsmallitmaybe.
Inconclusion,thetopicofvigilantismhascausedastiramonglotsofpeople.Afterbeing
exposedtothephenomenonthroughthemedia,ithasraisedquestionsaboutwhatitis,whetherit
shouldbelegalornotandtheeffectsithasonthecommunityanditspeople.

WorkCited
Safire."CAUSEANDEFFECTOFVIGILANTEJUSTICE,REF.THESIALKOTLYNCHING
TRAGEDY."
SafireDreams
.TheMistyLakeTheme,31Aug.2010.Web.01Apr.2016.
Vigilantism."
TheFreeDictionary.com
.20032016Farlex,Inc,n.d.Web.01Apr.2016.
Jones,Rhett."WhyIsn'ttheKKKDesignatedasaTerroristOrganization?"
Hopes&Fears
.HopesLLC,n.d.
Web.1Apr.2016.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1197624/
Gamingmaster42,andJustinisthecrazy."VigilantismIsJustifiedWhentheGovernmentHasFailedtoEnforce
theLaw."
DebateIssue:
.Debate.org,n.d.Web.01Apr.2016.
Shepard,AyannaR.M.Quote.1Apr.2016.Rawdata.HamptonUniversity,Hampton.