Vigilante

Not to be confused with vigilant.
For other uses, see Vigilante (disambiguation).
The Bald Knobbers, an 1880s vigilante group from Missouri, wearing crude "blackface" masks typical of the post-Reconstruction era in the United States as portrayed in the 1919 film, The Shepherd of the Hills.

A vigilante (/ˌvɪɪˈlænti/, /ˌvɪɪˈlænt/; Spanish: [bixiˈlante]; Portuguese: [viʒiˈlɐ̃t(ɨ)], [viʒiˈlɐ̃tʃi]) is a civilian or organization acting in a law enforcement capacity (or in the pursuit of self-perceived justice) without legal authority.

Vigilante conduct

"Vigilante justice" is often rationalized by the concept that proper legal forms of criminal punishment are either nonexistent, insufficient, or inefficient. Vigilantes normally see the government as ineffective in enforcing the law; such individuals often claim to justify their actions as a fulfillment of the wishes of the community.

Persons alleged to be escaping the law or above the law are sometimes the victims of vigilantism.[1]

Vigilante conduct involves certain degrees of violence. Vigilantes could assault targets verbally and/or physically, damage and/or vandalize property, or even kill individuals.

In a number of cases, vigilantism has involved targets with mistaken identities.

History

Vigilantism and the vigilante ethos existed long before the word vigilante was introduced into the English language. There are conceptual and psychological parallels between the Dark Age and medieval aristocratic custom of private war or vendetta and the modern vigilante philosophy.

Elements of the concept of vigilantism can be found in the Biblical account in Genesis 34 of the abduction and rape (or, by some interpretations, seduction) of Dinah, the daughter of Jacob, in the Canaanite city of Shechem by the eponymous son of the ruler, and the violent reaction of her brothers Simeon and Levi, who slew all of the males of the city in revenge, rescued their sister and plundered Shechem. When Jacob protested that their actions might bring trouble upon him and his family, the brothers replied "Should he [i.e., Shechem] treat our sister as a harlot?"

Similarly, in 2 Samuel 13, Absalom kills Amnon after King David, their father, fails to punish Amnon for raping Tamar, their sister.

Recourse to personal vengeance and dueling was considered a class privilege of the sword-bearing aristocracy before the formation of the modern centralized liberal-bureaucratic nation-state (see Marc Bloch, trans. L. A. Manyon, Feudal Society, Vol. I, 1965, p. 127). In addition, sociologists have posited a complex legal and ethical interrelationship between vigilante acts and rebellion and tyrannicide.

In the Western literary and cultural tradition, characteristics of vigilantism have often been vested in folkloric heroes and legendary outlaws (e.g., Robin Hood[6]). Vigilantism in literature, folklore and legend is connected to the fundamental issues of dissatisfied morality, injustice, the failures of authority and the ethical adequacy of legitimate governance. Hollywood has explored and exploited the vigilante theme extensively in movies such as the 1974 action film Death Wish (film) and its several sequels.

During medieval times, punishment of felons was sometimes exercised by such secret societies as the courts of the Vehm[7] (cf. the medieval Sardinian Gamurra later become Barracelli, the Sicilian Vendicatori and the Beati Paoli), a type of early vigilante organization, which became extremely powerful in Westphalian Germany during the 15th century.

Colonial era in America

Formally-defined vigilantism arose in the early American colonies.

19th century

As boom-towns, or mining towns in California because of Gold Rush, started appearing towards the 1850s, vigilantes started putting justice in their hands because these towns did not have any established forms of government. These people would assault accused thieves, rapists and murderers. When they assaulted these thieves, they would steal their gold and give it to the accuser. Other than reports and newspapers, there are not many records of vigilantes. Few names or groups are known.

A lynching carried out by the San Francisco Committee of Vigilance of 1856
"Great Hanging at Gainesville", 1862

Later in the United States, vigilante groups arose in poorly governed frontier areas where criminals preyed upon the citizenry with impunity.[8]

20th century

21st century

Culture and art

Cinema

Comics

TV series

See also

References

  1. Harris, Bronwyn (May 2001). ""As for Violent Crime that's our Daily Bread": Vigilante violence during South Africa's period of transition".
  2. "BBC News - UK - Paedophiles 'driven into hiding'". Retrieved 18 February 2015.
  3. "Mob killings spark worry". Kaieteur News. December 14, 2008. Retrieved 18 June 2012.
  4. "Noseweek 162 Wonder Woman: Gauteng's last hope". Retrieved 18 February 2015.
  5. Mara Kardas-Nelson. "Mpumalanga's not-so-clean coal". The M&G Online. Retrieved 18 February 2015.
  6. Mark D. Meyerson, Daniel Thiery (2004-11-01). A Great Effusion of Blood?: Interpreting Medieval Violence.
  7. "Germany: Die Feme". Time. Oct 16, 1944.
  8. Mullen, Kevin. "Malachi Fallon First Chief of Police".
  9. Hine, Kelly D. (1998). "VIGILANTISM REVISITED: AN ECONOMIC ANALYSIS OF THE LAW OF EXTRA-JUDICIAL SELF-HELP OR WHY CAN'T DICK SHOOT HENRY FOR STEALING JANE'S TRUCK?" (PDF).
  10. Monkkonen, Eric (2005). "Western Homicide: The Case of Los Angeles, 1830–1870". Pacific Historical Review 74 (4): 603–618 [p. 609]. doi:10.1525/phr.2005.74.4.603. The homicide rate between 1847 and 1870 averaged 158 per 100,000 (13 murders per year), which was 10 to 20 times the annual murder rates for New York City during the same period
  11. http://www.kshs.org/publicat/history/1995summer_watts.pdf
  12. "Under the Rebel Flag: Life in Texas During the Civil War". Texas State Library and Archives Commission. 2011.
  13. Nicholas Farrelly (July 2, 2010). "From Village Scouts to Cyber Scouts". New Mandala. Retrieved February 10, 2011.
  14. "Anthony Imperiale, 68, Dies - Polarizing Force in Newark - NYTimes.com". 28 December 1999. Retrieved 18 February 2015.
  15. Gutiérrez, Raúl (2007-09-04). "RIGHTS-EL SALVADOR: Death Squads Still Operating". Inter Press Service.
  16. "1985-2001: A short history of Anti-Fascist Action (AFA)". Retrieved 18 February 2015.
  17. 1 2 3 Zabriskie, Phil: The Punisher, Time magazine (Asia edition), June 24, 2002.
  18. "The Rise of Sweden's Far-Left Militants". VICE. Retrieved 18 February 2015.
  19. Casey Sanchez (August 13, 2007). "New Video Appears to Show Vigilante Border Murder". Southern Poverty Law Center. Retrieved 2009-03-21.
  20. "Vigilantes Gather in Arizona". Anti-Defamation League. April 7, 2005. Retrieved 2009-03-21.
  21. "Phone vigilante slashes car tires " BBC News dated 14 August 2006. Recovered on unknown date.
  22. "Careless talk". news.bbc.co.uk. 2007-02-22. Retrieved 2009-04-24.
  23. "500 drivers a week flout phone ban". www.thisislondon.co.uk. Retrieved 2009-04-24.
  24. "1,100 fined drivers get off the hook - Scotland on Sunday". scotlandonsunday.scotsman.com. Retrieved 2009-04-24.
  25. "Action Taken Against Ardoyne Thug Necessary - INLA". Retrieved 18 February 2015.
  26. Brendan McDaid (31 March 2006). "INLA hands over drugs seized from cocaine ring". Belfast Telegraph. Archived from the original on May 17, 2011.
  27. INLA dismantles another criminal gang April 07, 2006 10:51 Indymedia.ie
  28. INLA claims responsibility for murder of Derry drug dealer Retrieved: 26-05-2009
  29. INLA say they shot father-of-three – Derry Journal – 21 August 2009
  30. INLA victim tells 'Journal' 'I did deal in drugs - but not anymore' – Derry Journal – 28 August 2009
  31. Belfast Media | News | ONH claim arson attack on depot
  32. Real IRA shot sex offender - Local - Derry Journal
  33. CIRA blamed for attack on man (20) - News, Frontpage - Herald.ie
  34. 1 2 'Only way to eradicate drugs scourge is to remove the dealers' - Local - Derry Journal
  35. Karla Zabludovsky (August 2, 2012). "Reclaiming the Forests and the Right to Feel Safe". The New York Times. Retrieved August 3, 2012.
  36. Willsher, Kim (June 17, 2014). "Roma teenager in coma after being attacked by residents of French estate". The Guardian. Retrieved June 19, 2014.

External links

Look up vigilante in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
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