snaplok

Case rekindles vigilante justice debate - Crime & courts- msnbc.com

PaoloSmythe

i've punched someone in the face once, and it turned out to be a case of mistaken identity.

its a shitty feeling.

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rgrwilco

being in Philly every other day almost, i can say what the neighbors did was justified. crime in Philly is out of control, and criminals operate without fear of police and intimidate neighborhoods every second. if these thugs become scared and unwanted in neighborhoods, then that's a good thing. im kind of over seeing multiple shootings on the six o clock news. people are tired of living like that, and saw a way to end this situation.

if you rape anybody, or cause unjust bodily harm to anyone, IMO you waived your rights to not get beat the fuck up.

justdust

You have totally missed the point. Vigilantes often beat up or kill innocent people...becoming criminals themselves. Vigilante justice is inspired by passion more than rational thought, and can be manipulated with incindiary rhetoric regardless of facts. The desparate situation in Philly may need a serious response...but vigilantes are not the answer...they are just another problem.

rgrwilco

in philly, sadly, vigilantes are part of the answer. look at the amount of cops shot and/or killed over the past two years. they cant do it on their own. with budget cuts and the financial situation the street administration left the city in, the police really have no choice but to accept and embrace vigilantes to an extent. if the cops had control over the situation in the city, i can gaurantee there would be charges against these people.

im not missing the point, merely just pointing out that philly is almost an entirely different situation then elsewhere.

slimpanzee

^^^I can see that point. In areas where crime is so bad that the criminals are acting above the law and putting citizens at risk and fear everyday, then vigilante justice can improve things. Sure, there will be mistaken identity from time to time, but eventually, certain neighborhoods will become scary for criminals because the citizens have taken back their streets. Criminals don't work on rational thought. They work on fear. They're afraid of getting caught and going to jail. IF they're not afraid of that, then they'll do what they please. If they fear getting killed or the shit beat out of them by a mob, they might think twice.

But on the flip side of that coin, it would suck to be an innocent dude in the wrong place and time and get your ass beat by a mod. What could really help vigilante justice is to be a little bit more rational. If you catch a dude in the act, take them down... give him a few kicks in the face and balls and call the cops. I don't see an ass beatin' by the neighborhood watch excessive. Shit man, you're breakin' the law, that's excessive. But just mobbin' on some dude because you "think" they did it isn't wise.

Easier said than done. I live in an area with low crime

justdust

It would not just suck...it would be a crime...even if the dude was not innocent. If the police are already overwhelmed by the existing level of crime, how does adding more crime improve the situation? Are the police supposed to ignore vigilante crime? Where do they draw that line? Think about it. A lot of inter-gang and drug related violence is committed as retribution for prior violence. Vigilantism is NOT part of the solution.

slimpanzee

^^^Nor is a cop tackling an innocent dude and smashing his head into a concrete wall and sending him into a comma. Yet cops do shit like that and don't get held accountable. Isn't that a crime, too? Why does a cop get to make the mistake, but a citizen with the same intention can't? Where does the line get drawn? If you're a cop with a badge you can abuse your power, and that's ok. If you're a concerned citizen, you get no power?

We have just as much right to uphold justice as cops do. And to a certain degree, what's wrong with kickin' a rapist in the face? He just violently violated a vagina. An ass kickin' doesn't even compare.

MunkySpunk

Don't wanna get beat, don't rape 11 year olds.

Vlaze

Or better yet, don't rape, period.

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