Talk:Vigilante
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Perhaps someone can write a paragraph on vigilante justice (since this is the redirect page) in the American prison system? A recent example can be: http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/editorials/2003-08-25-edit_x.htm 3/30/05
Wondering if anyone knows about the history of vigilantism: vigilantes in the medieval era, etc.?
Removed Minutemen from list of vigilantes. The article admits that they are "technically not a vigilante group", and hence their inclusion is propaganda.
Anyone want to touch on the issues of Vigilantism, ie., positives, negatives, ethics etc?
It is arguable that Batman is a vigilante. He is far from The Punisher. He never kills. As it says above, vigilintes use methods like torture and killing enemies, Batman does not.
- My opinion: Batman is indeed a vigilante. As I understood in the article, vigilante is a law enforcer not officialized by the Government. Not necessarily mean. 200.230.213.152 03:47, 18 December 2006 (UTC)
"Both men had no history of repeat offense had been served "... this is confusing and not grammatical.
IIRC, Goetz was convicted on NY weapons charges and served 6 months in jail.
It is arguable that White Supremacist groups can be equated with vigilante justice. There is little to support the idea in the opening of this article that lynch mobs and the sort represent the typical motive of a vigilante (that being the enforcement of equitible justice.) While a comparison is slightly valid, I think this is unsuitable as the intial opening definition.
- Agreed. 200.230.213.152 03:47, 18 December 2006 (UTC)
- Disagree. The Minutemen are a classic vigilante group. "Typical motive of a vigilante" is a weasel phrase. I'm restoring Minutemen to the article. "Equitable justice"? Find a source for that claim. Bobanny 22:51, 26 February 2007 (UTC)
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[edit] Picture
Can anyone find a picture for this article. I'd put Batman but he is only one person. H2P (Yell at me for what I've done) 15:28, 25 October 2006 (UTC)
[edit] Added DDS
I added the DDS because it is very prevalent in the city, although what should've been added is the counter-communist methods used by the Alsa Masa during the 1980s in the same city.
[edit] Legal Status
How about some stuff about legal status of being a vigilant (as a 'good unofficial justice enforcer' rather than 'hate group'). As far as I know, in Brasil, anyone can arrest people in the act, but unless in defense (self-defense or others-defense) they can't use force, I guess... (but how would that be? Just shouting to the dude "you're under arrest!"???) 200.230.213.152 03:47, 18 December 2006 (UTC)
[edit] Two kinds of "vigilantes"?
Perhaps we should distinguish between "vigilante law enforcment" (doing the usual job of the police, like stoping and/or detaining criminals) and "vigilante justice" (doing the usual job of the courts, i.e. punishing criminals)? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 81.84.198.199 (talk) 16:15, 31 December 2006 (UTC).
[edit] Movies
Dirty Harry - Harry Callahan is a police officer,acting in these condition; he can be considered a "vigilante"? Perhaps "Magnum Force" is more appropriate.
The Outlaw Josey Wales,V for Vendetta - they are "rebels", not exactly "vigilantes". --194.65.151.249 15:55, 2 January 2007 (UTC)
[edit] History
This article desperately needs some history. I'm no expert, but I believe the modern connotation of "Vigilante" comes from San Francisco Vigilance Movement in the mid-19th century US. I might be wrong, and maybe that's just an example and not the origin, but some research needs to be done to give this article some grounding. Right now, it's just anyone who takes the law into their own hands, which can encompass so much as to be unencyclopedic. And I agree that rebels, renegades, and mavericks are different than vigilantes. Bobanny 19:49, 1 February 2007 (UTC)
[edit] Do vigilantes have to be violent and face-to-face
There is this slashdot article on this computer hacker who breaks the law and sends a judge to 27 years in jail. [1]. He broke California penal code 502 [2]. The person who submitted that article claims the kid is a vigilante. Does vigilante require the negative connotation associated with it? Usually dictionary definitions do not carry connotations. This would be kind of strange since it would be like a whistleblower or something like that. LAWL a nonviolent vigilante. I usually associate vigilante as like being Hollywood type. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Getonyourfeet (talk • contribs) 13:37, 22 February 2007 (UTC).
- I'd say there's a negative connotation with vigilante, but it depends on the perspective of the audience. J. Jonah Jameson, for example, doesn't like Spiderman because he's a vigilante, and by definition, vigilantes operate outside or in defiance of the law and are therefore criminal. Most of the stuff I've read on the San Francisco Committee of Vigilance, which epitomizes vigilantism and is the historical origin for our modern associations with the term, are sympathetic to those vigilantes. It seems to come down to whether or not you believe the vigilante is justified in operating outside or in defiance of the law. In mid-19th century San Francisco, the feeling was that lawlessness was too much for the existing "law" to deal with, so the vigilance committee was seen as justified in taking illegal measures to establish law and order. The Hollywood cliche of the vigilante action hero, I believe, is so popular because it's a vehicle for exploring the theme of justice through the perspective of an individual. I don't think vigilantes are necessarily violent, but remember that "the law" vigilantes are substituting for has a monopoly on legitimate violence. Even if the cop is giving you a friendly warning, he's still ready to use that gun in his holster if he thinks it appropriate, or electrial outlet if it's Jack Bauer and he thinks you know something about the visitors. Bobanny 20:00, 22 February 2007 (UTC)
[edit] Article Needs Attention
This article needs heavy copy-editing for syntax and grammar. It appears that most of it was written by a single individual, to whom English is apparently a second language. It's well-sourced, but very tough to read.
Furthermore, the weasel words need to go. Historians don't "believe" anything. They've either had a fact/opinion quoted by a reputable, cited source, or they've done the same in one of their own publications. Period. Bullzeye 17:57, 12 March 2007 (UTC)
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- I agree this needs a good copyedit, but disagree that "historians believe" is a weasel phrase. Historians are a very opionated lot, and do more than just reiterate what people in the past said. They interepret sources and then tell us what they "believe" happened based on that. The wording could be better, but there are references that point to said historians, so I'm removing the weasel tag; if you wish to return it, please specify if there's other weasel problems and how neutrality is compromised. Bobanny 20:40, 12 March 2007 (UTC)
