You're probably aware of Anonymous, the hacker group. You probably haven't heard much to recommend them to you before now. Here's their argument for vigilantism. It's well worth considering.
I'm with Joseph in as much as I've not seen anything, yet, I would consider to be more than "public shaming".
As to the why of vigilantism... The careful observer might think our legislation and criminal justice system seems to be trending towards making more citizens criminals while delivering less justice to those who harm society and to their victims. That impression can't help but damage allegiances to the notion of law and order and make the fantasy of vigilante justice appealing.
Far too frequently I read news reports of serial pedophiles who have been in and out of jail/treatment repeatedly. The story usually goes something along the lines of the pedophile perp, having been recently released after some period of incarceration and/or treatment/analysis, brings harm or death to another child. Being the Neanderthal that I am, I'm of the opinion that those who would release the recidivist scum on the public, again and again, share more than a little responsibility for the crime.
Hopefully when, not if, the perp who visited this torment on the Todd child is apprehended, judged to be guilty beyond the shadow of a doubt, and convicted, they will be dealt with ever ounce of severity legally available and appropriate to the crime of degrading and tormenting a child to death.
The careful observer might think our legislation and criminal justice system seems to be trending towards making more citizens criminals while delivering less justice to those who harm society and to their victims.
's what Sam Francis called "anarcho-tyranny" -- in an advanced stage in England these days, if what I read is true.
I'm not seeing the actual vigilantism in this -- it looks more like an extreme kind of "public shaming" than any kind of law enforcement.
ReplyDeleteThough the information in the two links is interesting when put together...
(second link) "She did everything right: asking for help, relying on friends and family, getting psychiatric help..."
(first link) "...started drinking...started a romantic relationship with an older man who had a girlfriend..."
...but this only tells me what I already knew, that I don't know anything like the full story. And probably never will.
Well, it might be just shaming... if they don't actually mean it when they say "Expect us."
ReplyDeleteI'm with Joseph in as much as I've not seen anything, yet, I would consider to be more than "public shaming".
ReplyDeleteAs to the why of vigilantism... The careful observer might think our legislation and criminal justice system seems to be trending towards making more citizens criminals while delivering less justice to those who harm society and to their victims. That impression can't help but damage allegiances to the notion of law and order and make the fantasy of vigilante justice appealing.
Far too frequently I read news reports of serial pedophiles who have been in and out of jail/treatment repeatedly. The story usually goes something along the lines of the pedophile perp, having been recently released after some period of incarceration and/or treatment/analysis, brings harm or death to another child.
Being the Neanderthal that I am, I'm of the opinion that those who would release the recidivist scum on the public, again and again, share more than a little responsibility for the crime.
Hopefully when, not if, the perp who visited this torment on the Todd child is apprehended, judged to be guilty beyond the shadow of a doubt, and convicted, they will be dealt with ever ounce of severity legally available and appropriate to the crime of degrading and tormenting a child to death.
The careful observer might think our legislation and criminal justice system seems to be trending towards making more citizens criminals while delivering less justice to those who harm society and to their victims.
ReplyDelete's what Sam Francis called "anarcho-tyranny" -- in an advanced stage in England these days, if what I read is true.