Vigilante Justice, Individually / Nationally

Forums: Philosophy
Email this Topic • Print this Page

Is it ever OK to use vigilante justice to help stop crimes police are unwilling / unable to stop on a domestic local individual basis?

It would seem to me countries often enough apply the vigilante justice rationale under the guise of national security; that's not to say I consider a country's actions justification for an individual's actions.

However, I think there is an expectation that the actions of one's country should be in keeping with the actions of the individual citizens, however rarely these two may jibe.

Topic Stats
Top Replies
Link to this Topic

Type: Discussion • Score: 0 • Views: 753 • Replies: 6

No top replies

Re: Vigilante Justice, Individually / Nationally

Chumly wrote:

Quote:

Is it ever OK to use vigilante justice to help stop crimes police are unwilling /
unable to stop on a domestic local individual basis?

That depends upon the values and criteria of judgment
that u wish to apply in order to decide the answer to your question.
IMO: yes.
I can think of circumstances that wud have moven me ( in the past )
to take personal action, if necessary.

0 Replies

Re: Vigilante Justice, Individually / Nationally

Chumly wrote:

Is it ever OK to use vigilante justice to help stop crimes police are unwilling / unable to stop on a domestic local individual basis?

It would seem to me countries often enough apply the vigilante justice rationale under the guise of national security; that's not to say I consider a country's actions justification for an individual's actions.

However, I think there is an expectation that the actions of one's country should be in keeping with the actions of the individual citizens, however rarely these two may jibe.

Is it considered vigilante justice only after the fact? And by that I mean, is it considered to be vigilanteism only after the crime has been discovered and the authorities have done nothing about it?

Or could it be a situation where you're at a venue and you see something happening that you think is wrong and the authority there also sees it, but does not judge it to be wrong so does nothing - but you're unwilling to see it continue - so you step in and do something about it?

0 Replies

Re: Vigilante Justice, Individually / Nationally

aidan wrote:

Chumly wrote:

Is it ever OK to use vigilante justice to help stop crimes police are unwilling / unable to stop on a domestic local individual basis?

It would seem to me countries often enough apply the vigilante justice rationale under the guise of national security; that's not to say I consider a country's actions justification for an individual's actions.

However, I think there is an expectation that the actions of one's country should be in keeping with the actions of the individual citizens, however rarely these two may jibe.

Quote:

Is it considered vigilante justice only after the fact?
And by that I mean, is it considered to be vigilanteism only after the crime
has been discovered and the authorities have done nothing about it?

That depends on who is considering it.

Quote:

Or could it be a situation where you're at a venue and you see something happening
that you think is wrong and the authority there also sees it, but does not judge
it to be wrong so does nothing - but you're unwilling to see it continue -
so you step in and do something about it?

Such as if some citizen of L.A.
shot the criminals who were stomping Reginald Denny on national TV
for maybe half an hour or 45 minutes, or whatever it was ?

David

0 Replies

Reginald Denny - was that the white guy who was pulled out of his truck and beaten during the Rodney King riots? Were the police aware that was going on and allowed it to continue? I don't remember David - was that the case?

If so, yes, then that would be a situation that would fit the criteria I'm asking about.
Because if I knew that the police were aware and were not going to do anything to help that man then I'd have felt compelled to drive my car into the crowd to dsperse it or sneak up behind someone with a tire iron or something to help him.

I think part of it is being a teacher - even when you're out and about you feel somehow responsible for monitoring behavior... Laughing

last night we were at a basketball game and these kids were using atrocious language and I said, "Hey, come on..." to them and my daughter was like, "Mom - you're off duty.."
But you really never are if you're an adult and kids are indicating they need direction and some help with their choices.

In terms of the Reginald Denny thing - I'd have probably gotten myself killed because no - I wouldn't have been able to stand there and watch that man be set upon by a mob without having done something to help him.

0 Replies

aidan wrote:

Quote:

Reginald Denny -
was that the white guy who was pulled out of his truck
and beaten during the Rodney King riots?

Yes.

Quote:

Were the police aware that was going on and allowed it to continue?
I don't remember David - was that the case?

If not, thay were the only ones in America who did not,
since it was broadcast live on all 3 TV networks simultaneously for about 45 minutes.

Quote:

If so, yes, then that would be a situation that would fit the criteria I'm asking about.
Because if I knew that the police were aware and were not going to do anything to help
that man then I'd have felt compelled to drive my car into the crowd to dsperse it
or sneak up behind someone with a tire iron or something to help him.

I think part of it is being a teacher - even when you're out and about you
feel somehow responsible for monitoring behavior...
last night we were at a basketball game and these kids were using
atrocious language and I said, "Hey, come on..." to them and my
daughter was like, "Mom - you're off duty.."
But you really never are if you're an adult and kids are indicating they
need direction and some help with their choices.

U remind me of an incident I saw a few years ago,
while I was entering a Long Island restaurant from its parking lot.
A boy who looked about 11 was entering together with me.
I saw him look at the palm of his left hand; it was very black with dirt.
Apparently, he had just touched something dirty.
He stared at his hand; intuitively, I felt that I knew what he was THINKING:
HE was deciding whether to lick his hand. I was shocked.
I felt a very strong urge to tell him not to do that,
but I was also troubled by an absence of absence of jurisdiction.
I had no right to tell him what to do.
He then licked his hand; a poor choice.
I had no right to interfere.

Quote:

In terms of the Reginald Denny thing -
I'd have probably gotten myself killed because no - I wouldn't have been able
to stand there and watch that man be set upon by a mob without having
done something to help him.

If u called 911, the police might have responded a few days later,
or whenever thay wanted to.

0 Replies

I understand that Reggie has never been the same again.

That 's the price a citizen pays for OBEYING California 's gun control laws.
Apparently, he was in PERFECT compliance.

David

0 Replies

Vigilante Justice, Individually / Nationally

Related Topics

Quick Links

My Account

able2know