...lets say a particular town or neighbourhood was plagued with violent crime, courtesy of a gang, that the police were powerless to stop (either too corrupt or simply lacking manpower). The few honest citizens lived in genuine fear for their lives on a daily basis.
Now lets say an anonymous person went around killing the malefactors in this gang (who are easily identifiable by their gang colours and the fact they carried weapons). This vigilante did not torture or prolong his treatment of these violent criminals, but simply killed them quickly and proficiently with a shot to the face.
After two weeks the gang has been wiped out, all of them dead. The anonymous vigilante posts a ltter to the governing powers that be stating that he has done his job and is laying down his gun for good, never to kill or take things in to his own hands again. The citizens can live in peace once more.
Do you think what this man has done is unforgiveable?
2007-03-13 09:02:28 · 16 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Other - Society & Culture
I refer specifically to the circumstances of this one made-up case; not to vigilantism as a whole, lynch mobs, or kangaroo courts.
2007-03-13 09:03:39 · update #1
purely acceptable.
If the police can't do their job, it's up to the citizens.
If this happened in RL i would definately support
2007-03-13 09:05:53 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 3⤋
Sounds like you've been watching Boondock Saints again.
I won't question the morale, but technically he's done something that violated the laws of humanity and most of set laws in basically every town and every city in every country of the world, even a law set in stone by *cough cough* GOD HIMSELF! --- "Thou shalt not kill."
I've heard of the phrase "the goal justifies the means" and heaven knows I'm a hypocrite for saying this because I would do exactly the same thing (even though I wouldn't be as dumb as to write a letter to the officials saying I've done my - or rather their - job; I'd just keep fecking quiet about it and just disappear into the twilight again... or something like that.), but... WHAT THAT FELLA HAS DONE IS FECKIN' ILLEGAL!!!! Not to mention an obvious sign of anarchy. Sure enough, the authorative powers can't do anything to stop the gang, and I really don't mind having a bit of anarchy now and again.
Then again I've been known to break a law or two meself.
And who's to say you'll have his word? As long as there are gangs - and there'll always be gangs - a vigilante should be around to silence them. He'll be back.
All in all, he'll be sued - they'll call in fecking Horatio Caine to find that vigilante and bring him to court, just because he'd questioned authority rather than because he killed half a dozen bad fellas. Everyone would love to do it, and in all fairness it is very much forgivable. But where would you draw the line between good and evil?
the vigilante did an 'evil' thing for a good cause
the gang did 'evil' things for a bad cause.
but what if a con artist or a thief did an 'evil' thing for a good cause, and the vigilante catches wind... would they deserve to die?
2007-03-13 16:35:22 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Since most people seem to think it's forgivable, I'll try to be the "devil's" advocate".
Life isn't as "good vs. evil" as your story. I grew up in agang infested town. The vast majority pf the gang members were teenagers from very poor families. Their parents were gone all day working just so they could make ends meet. The children had a hard time fitting in at school. These kids started to band together in the streets to make their own version of a family and to take a sort of revenge on the town who had rejected them. Going around killing them has only temporarily solved the problem.
Did the vigilante make sure he only killed gang members who did something that warrented being murdered? Do you think the mothers of the slain teenagers will forgive the anonymous vigilante?
2007-03-13 16:13:55 · answer #3 · answered by MeekaBee 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If civilisation breaks down and the Police become totally impotent to thugs and violent crime then this scenario will come true. People can and will only take so much before they break the normal rule of law and take matters into their own hands this is people justice and is dangerous, but is only wrong if the retribution is metered out to innocent individuals purely because they look wrong or were in the wrong place at the wrong time.
2007-03-13 16:17:02 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Is it unforgivable? This is pretty much the 80's action hero fantasy straight out of Death Wish or Dirty Harry. Whoever did this would be a serial murderer. Unless you're somebody who thinks that the end justifies the means no matter what, this would be a reprehensible series of crimes.
This kind of vigilantism is murder without justice. It's the way military dictators in 3rd world countries behave.
2007-03-13 16:12:28 · answer #5 · answered by Underground Man 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If the law enforcement agencies are unable to control this gang, then the citizens of this hypothetical town should sort this out through due democratic process. Elect a mayor or sherrif who will sort this out.
The gang are entitled to a trial by jury - not summary execution by one man. You say the honest citizens live in fear - but last I checked that wasn't a crime punishable by death.
It would be unforgivable.
2007-03-13 16:08:54 · answer #6 · answered by mark 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
1-2-3-4 F that P till it's sore
2007-03-13 16:06:35 · answer #7 · answered by alex m 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
That's even worse! You can't go round killing people, they gangs are quite often children with nothing better to do. Why doesn't that person set up a youth club and give them something to do off the streets rather than go round shooting people in the face!
Apart from that, he's bound to get caught and then his family gets it!
2007-03-13 16:10:00 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
Sounds like it could be a story used by the scriptwriters to spice things up a little bit in Eastenders - I'd send it off to the BBC if I were you.
2007-03-13 16:07:53 · answer #9 · answered by Smarty 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Shot to the face eh!
Cool, i would forgive him YES.
If the police can not protect us then we must protect ourselves and as not all of us are able to (shoot someone in the face) then let the lone hero take them down and receive the credit.
2007-03-13 16:08:48 · answer #10 · answered by ROBSTER 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
i think the preservation of life is the utmost ideal we should follow, however, when life is threatened by an outside force that knows no reason, that factor must be extinguished!
I would forgive this guy and not even think twice about it
2007-03-13 16:07:43 · answer #11 · answered by Nooka 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋