A couple nights ago i was watching a British film called "Outlaw". The plot is basically about a man who came back from the war in Afghanistan to a country he didn't even recognize no more. Drug dealers, Gangs, Pedophiles and so forth. So he gets a gang together and become outlaws, hunting down criminals through information given from a bent police officer.



This film got me thinking, almost every country in there history has had a famous vigilante or outlaws.

San Francisco Vigilantes of 1851 - Montana Vigilantes 1863 - The Skidmore Bully Case and the Unknown Vigilante 1980 - Bernhard Goetz, "The Subway Vigilante" 1981

And probably the most recent and infamous vigilante Jonathan "Jack" Idema, who after the 9/11 terror attacks went upon himself to go to Afghanistan and capture several men he believed to be terrorists.

Many outlaws and vigilantes come out of times of trouble and mounting pressure on societies which create a gap which in the eyes of some the law cant fill so they take it under there powers to be the judge and jury, and in some cases the executioner ( Judge Dredd )



So, my question to you ATS'ers is, What are your thoughts on rogue outlaws and vigilantes ? are they heroes or villains ? if a neighbor of yours went round killing, capturing rapists and kiddy fiddlers ? would you fear them or hail them ?

and one more question, if these people were captured, would you want them to have a reduced sentencing in the courts ?

My opinion, they would be heroes, and if caught to have a reduced sentencing, even gave a medal.

I'm all for it, when you cant trust, your government to do what should be done, do it yourself, as long as you remember why your doing it and what the cause is for, The cause for good, and for lessons to be learnt.

I've always looked apon robin hood as someone who did they right thing and hes a hero, it just takes time to see.

My local legend is in me, come find me in his shadow

i do not really know since most of the character you've mentioned are fictional. the ones that are real aren't really vigilante, they're mentally unstable and their work changes nothing. society as it is today have no room for them.

Do you think cops are doing their job and the judicial system is working for the common man?

Y or N?

If no? What are you prepared to do about it?

Enough said.

peace

Actually I could see special forces being used to deplete gangs like ms-13, drug dealers, corrupt politicians and so forth through extrajudicial killings/summary execution either because there is insufficient legal evidence, revolving court system or too much money. Maybe a "Street Judge" system like Judge Dredd.

Originally posted by Bramble Iceshimmer
Actually I could see special forces being used to deplete gangs like ms-13, drug dealers, corrupt politicians and so forth through extrajudicial killings/summary execution either because there is insufficient legal evidence, revolving court system or too much money. Maybe a "Street Judge" system like Judge Dredd.

Unless Marshal Law is declared at the Federal level, there are is no way that US Military Forces can be set out to enforce laws.

Real vigilantes are probably the reason most of us sleep safe at night.

It may be Batman.

At least vigilantes have Honor.(IMO). More so than a lot of "Law Enforcement" I see runnin around these days.

I have a slight problem with outlaws, which is what do they do when they kill/chase away all the "unwanted" elements in your society? Who do they answer to? What do they do, start their own agenda then? To me, that's a bit scary.

However, if a council was formed, which pointed to a directive, and there was a check and balance system in place, and the outlaw answered to said system, then I'd be fine with it.

Committing a crime to deal with a crime is somewhat illogical. Allowing crime to exist is equally so. The system is broken, eh?

Outlaws are the lawless
Vigilantes are the lawness.

If society and culture fail in their duties to others and itself, then the former will appear.
If society and culture fail to rectify that aspect of the "problem," vigilantes will appear, complicating the situation.

Both phenomena are not outside the confines of society and culture, but a invariable part of a strictiral failure of a civilization to maintain itself for various reasons. Chaos is ensured as everyone "else" becomes the enemy one way or another.

Its an interesting question.

As an avid comic book fan I have been postulating for many years now as to how far we are off having an actual, real life Batman running around. I honestly don't believe we are far off.

All it takes is someone with the money and either the mental delusion, or willpower, to make it happen. Most of Batmans "toys" are within grasp of modern technology, so why not?

With a lack of trust in law enforcement and the laws of the land, I can see it happening sooner or later - and providing the vigilante sticks to non-lethal methods it would be interesting to see peoples reactions to it.