The conventional view is that Vigilantism is bad. Why?Because they do a worse job. Why? Because
- Individual vigilantes have worse judgement than a legal system
- worse at determining guilt
- less likely to assign appropriate punishment
- Vigilantes are more prone to corruption/abuse of power
I don't agree, In many societies, the legal system is non-functional for a broad range of people. From the poor to those of the wrong religion or ethnicity, often there is no meaningful official recourse. Ditto for victims of organised crime. In these cases, and some others like them, I think that widespread vigilantism is good because the alternative, utter helplessness and domination of the good by the evil, is worse.
The other side:
- Vigilantism provokes a crackdown (i.e: Christians in pakistan)
- Vigilantes become worse than the criminals they replace (mexico/columbia)
- Vigilantes respond to an imaginary threat
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