VIGILANTE

A 'vigilante' is a person or persons who ignore due process enacting their own form of justice when they deem the response of the authorities to be insufficient. Robert P. Ingalls has defined vigilantism as "extralegal coercion by a group of private individuals seeking to maintain the existing distribution of power."^[1]

Contents

Etymology

Vigilante behavior

History

Colonial era

19th century

20th century

21st century (present day)

Works of fiction

In cinema

In television

In literature

In comic books

In video games

References

External links

See also

Etymology

The term vigilante is Spanish for "watchman," ultimately from Latin vigilant- the present participle of vigilare "to watch." It was introduced into English from the southwestern United States, in the same way as the folkloric term "desperado." Vigilantism is generally denounced by official agencies, especially when it gives way to criminal behavior on the part of the vigilante.

Vigilante behavior

To recognize vigilantism, there exist an impetus of the behavior surrounding vigilantism.
#Some people see their governments as ineffective in enforcing the law thus individuals and organizations fulfill the wishes of the community.
#"Vigilante justice" is usually spurred on by the perception that criminal punishment is insufficient to the crime, or nonexistent. Citizenry often commit violent acts onto others in order to bring about equal justice.^[2] Persons seen as escaping from the law, or "above the law" are generally the targets of vigilantism.^[3]
#Many vigilantes often target minority groups often conflicting with issues of another controlling body thus take extreme anal-retentive attention to every detail of law against the minority.⁷
#Choice of degree of violence. In some cases vigilantes may assault targets verbally, or may terrorize victims,^[4] may perform inhumane acts, or no violence at all.

History

Vigilantism existed long before the word ''vigilante'' (Spanish for ''watchman'') came into being in the mid-19th century. In the Western literary and cultural tradition, characteristics of ''vigilantism'' have often been noted in folkloric heroes and legendary outlaws (e.g., Robin Hood^[5]). Vigilantism in this literature, folklore and legend is deeply connected to fundamental issues of morality, the nature of justice, the limits of bureaucratic authority and the ethical function of legitimate governance.

Colonial era

Formally-defined vigilantism arose in the early North American colonies. In these instances, the line between "taking the law into one's own hands," and rebellion or tyrannicide (to destroy an abusive corruption of a legitimate government and vindicate moral ends). Back in those times, vigilantism has been practiced to protect against fake religious practitioners and to protect property.⁷

★ Established the mid-18th century, for instance, the Regulator movement of American colonial times was composed of citizen volunteers of the frontier who opposed official misconduct and extrajudicially punished banditry.

19th century

Later in America, vigilance groups established themselves in poorly governed frontier areas where criminals preyed upon the citizenry with impunity.^[6]

★ In 19th-century American Revolution, Vigilance committees organized to protect themselves in places lacking either local and/or influential law enforcement. They were established by the colonial rebels to force the populace to accept nonimportation agreements and to violently ferret out non-sympathetic Tories.

★ In the 1850s, the San Francisco Vigilance Movement was an example of secretive groups of vigilantes who cleaned up city streets of crime with a segment focused against immigrants.^[7]

★ From 1866 to the present, the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) and other white supremacists groups are known to use excessive violence and intimidation and extra-legal violence such as lynching against Blacks when racial segregation laws were in effect. The KKK also conducted illegal violence against African Americans long after segregation laws and "were hostile to civil rights enforcement."^[8] "Blacks in the rural South tried to defend themselves" before the civil rights movement, when white supremacists dominated local government and federal authorities ignored lynch murders.^[9]

20th century

★ In the 1920s, the Big Sword Society of China protected life and property in a state of anarchy.

★ From 1979 to the present, the Guardian Angels is a recognized unarmed vigilante organization founded in New York City that now has chapters in many other cities.

★ Recognized since the 1980's, Sombra Negra or "Black Shadow" of El Salvador is a group of mostly retired police officers and military personnel whose sole duty is to cleanse the country of "impure" social elements.

★ In 1984, Bernhard Goetz rode on a subway train in New York when he encountered an unfriendly group of individuals. After being harassed, he attacked individuals with intent of "murdering them" with a gun earning the name "subway vigilante."

★ Known since 1995, the Davao Death Squad of present-day Davao City, Philippines unleashed a killing spree aimed at the city's (supposed) notorious criminals (and children) by unknown motorcycle riding vigilantes.

★ Formed since 1996, the People Against Gangsterism and Drugs of Cape Town, South Africa fights drugs and gangsterism in their region.

★ Formed since 1998, the Bakassi Boys of Nigeria were viewed as the frontmen in lowering the regions high crime when police were ineffective.

★ Neighborhood watch groups¹¹

21st century (present day)

★ Formed since 2000, Ranch Rescue is an still functioning organization in the southwest United States ranchers call upon to forcibly remove illegal aliens and squatters off their property.

★ In the early decade of 2000, after the September 11 attacks, Jonathan Idema, a self-proclaimed vigilante, entered Afghanistan and captured many people he claimed to be terrorists. Idema claimed he was collaborating with, and supported by the U.S. Government. He even sold news-media outlets tapes that he claimed showed an Al Qaeda training camp in action. His operations ended abruptly when he was arrested with his partners in 2004 and sentenced to 10 years in a notorious Afghan prison, before being pardoned in 2007.

★ Operated since 2002, perverted-justice.com opponents have accused the website of being modern day cyber vigilantes.^[10]

★ Formed since 2005, U.S.-Mexico border minutemen keep a lookout for illegal aliens.^[11]

★ In 2005, vigilantism was observed after the destruction of New Orleans by Hurricane Katrina, as individuals took vigil over their private homes to protect them from looters, since local police were preoccupied dealing with large numbers of displaced citizens.^[12]

Works of fiction

In cinema

The Hollywood vigilante had its development in the 1960s¹⁴ and 1970s^[13]
at a time when the cop or detective story was popular. With censorship of this genre, production of these movies declined, showing a change in American values. These cops are said to express unrelenting and uncompromising violence towards anyone who got in between both the vigilante cop and criminal that broke laws to accomplish their objectives.^[14]
For example the film ''Léon The Professional'' features a DEA agent who, without any repercussion, kills a family, including an innocent young child, in order to eliminate a narcotics trafficker who has stolen a percentage of the heroin that the DEA agent asked him to hold. Therefore the DEA agent wasn't acting as a vigilante cop but as a criminal drug dealer who uses his authority position as a DEA agent to his advantage.
The real vigilantes in that film were Matilda and Leon.
Another prime example of vigilantism in movies is the film ''The Boondock Saints''. It depicts the story two enraged Bostonian Irishmen who, believing themselves to be on a mission from God, indiscriminately kill anyone involved in organized crime. This film has become something of a cult classic because of the righteous indignation it often spurns in viewers, and the fantastic violence which the vigilantes turn upon those they judge to be morally bankrupt.

★ ''The Vigilante'' (1947)

★ ''Coffy'' (1973)

★ ''Walking Tall'' (1973 and 2004)

★ ''Magnum Force (Dirty Harry 2)'' (1973)

★ ''Death Wish'' (1974) and its sequels ''Death Wish II'' (1981), ''Death Wish 3'' (1985), '' (1987), and '' (1994)

★ ''Street Law'' (1974)

★ ''Taxi Driver'' (1976)

★ ''Mad Max'' (1979)

★ ''The Exterminator'' (1980)

★ ''Vigilante'' (1983)

★ ''Exterminator 2 (1984)

★ ''Above the Law'' (1988)

★ ''Batman'' (1989) and its sequels ''Batman Returns'' (1992), ''Batman Forever'' (1995) and ''Batman & Robin'' (1997)

★ ''The Punisher'' (1989 and 2004)

★ ''Falling Down'' (1993)

★ ''The Crow'' (1994)

★ ''A Time to Kill'' (1996)

★ ''The Boondock Saints'' (1999)

★ ''Chopper'' (2000)

★ ''Unbreakable'' (2000)

★ ''Skins'' (2002)

★ ''A Man Apart'' (2003)

★ ''Daredevil'' (2003)

★ ''Man on Fire'' (2004)

★ ''Batman Begins'' (2005) and its sequel ''The Dark Knight'' (2008)

★ ''The Devil's Rejects'' (2005)

★ ''Sin City'' (2005)

★ ''Hard Candy'' (2005)

★ ''See No Evil'' (2005)

★ ''Outlaw'' (2007)

★ ''Hot Fuzz'' (2007)

★ ''Death Sentence'' (2007)

★ ''Shooter'' (2007)

★ ''The Brave One'' (2007)

In television

★ ''The Equalizer'' (1985-1989)

★ ''Dark Justice'' (1991-1993)

★ ''Swat Kats'' (1993-1995)

★ ''Bubblegum Crisis'' (1987)

★ ''Tales from the Crypt (TV series)'' "The Man Who Was Death" (1989-1996)

★ ''Bubblegum Crash'' (1991)

★ ''Bubblegum Crisis 2040'' (1997-1998)

★ ''Vengeance Unlimited'' (1998-1999)

★ ''Dark Angel'' (2000-2002)

★ ''Death Note'' (2003-2006)

★ ''Jericho'' (2006-Present)

★ ''Dexter'' (2006-Present)

★ "Homer the Vigilante," episode in the fifth season of ''The Simpsons'' (1994)

In literature

★ ''The Virginian'' by Owen Wister (1902) is the first American western novel based on the theme of "frontier justice."

★ ''Without Remorse'' by Tom Clancy is explicitly about an ex-US Navy SEAL wiping out a gang of drug dealers.

★ ''Darkly Dreaming Dexter'' (2004) and ''Dearly Devoted Dexter'' by Jeff Lindsay (2005) with adapted TV series ''Dexter'' (2006) are all about a fictional character ''Dexter Morgan'' who by day is a blood splatter expert for the Miami-Dade Police Department and by night hunts down and kills those who he feels "deserve to die."

★ ''A Stout Cord and a Good Drop'' by James Gaitis (Globe Pequot 2006) is a lengthy literary work of historical fiction based on a rigorous analysis of the facts associated with the Montana Vigilantes, the infamous Montana hanging spree of 1863-64, and the foundation of the Montana Territory in the midst of the American Civil War.

In comic books

Vigilantism in the comic book arena has its basic concepts in several fictional genres, including stories published in dime novels and comic books. Many of the heroes of pulp fiction and comic book superheroes are vigilantes because they operate outside the law in order to combat lawlessness. In fact, virtually any superhero can be considered a vigilante if he or she is not acting under the direct authority of a law enforcement agency or other government body.
A key example is ''Watchmen'', a DC Comics limited series of the late 1980s written by Alan Moore, in which superheroes are portrayed by society and government as illegal vigilantes. Also of note is the DC comic book character of the 1940s and revived in the 1980s, the Vigilante.

★ Doc Savage

★ The Shadow

★ Batman

★ The Punisher

★ Daredevil

★ Superman

★ Spider-Man

In video games

★ ''Renegade'' (1986)

★ ''Double Dragon'' (1987)

★ ''Vigilante'' (1988)

★ ''River City Ransom'' (1989)

★ ''Final Fight'' (1989)

★ ''Streets of Rage'' (1991)

★ ''Final Fight 2'' (1993)

★ ''Final Fight 3'' (1995)

★ ''The Grand Theft Auto Games'' (1998 Onwards) - Once in a police vehicle, the player has an option to perform vigilante missions.

★ ''Max Payne'' (2001)

★ ''The Punisher'' (2005)

References

1. [1]
2.
Vigilantes & Deputies: Lesson from the Past
3.
"As for Violent Crime that's our Daily Bread": Vigilante violence during South Africa's period of transition

4.
Civil Lawsuit Filed Against Vigilante Roger Barnett - Border Vigilantes Armed With Assault Weapons Terrorize Local Douglas Families And Child Victims file civil lawsuit against Barnett family & call for State prosecution
5. http://books.google.com/books?id=X6OZHSrJCRAC&pg=PA316&lpg=PA316&dq=%22robin+hood%22+vigilantism&source=web&ots=NcKSZQr7cU&sig=_I4QU9r_FedDq-F1_UGGkp-YXdw#PPA316,M1
6. [2]
7.
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?

8. [3]
9. [4]
10. [5]
11.
Viligente Minutemen

12.
Hurricane Katrina Revisited: Twenty-first Century Lynching and Land-stealing

13.
Cop Action Films

14.
A Brief History of the Detective Film

External links

★ Lyrics to ''Vigilante Man'' by Woody Guthrie.

★ Vigilantes Countering Terrorists in the Wild West-ern World at Legal News TV

★ Historical Deadwood Newspaper accounts of George Keating and O. B. Davis hung by vigilantes for stealing horses 1878

★ Comfort Ero, “Vigilantes, Civil Defence Forces and Militia Groups: The other side of the privatization of security in Africa,” ''Conflict Trends'' (June 2000): 25-29.

★ Martha K. Huggins, editor, ''Vigilantism and the State in Modern Latin America: Essays on Extralegal Violence'', Praeger/Greenwood, 1991.

★ Bill Ong Hing, “Vigilante Racism: The De-Americanization of Immigrant America”, ''Donkeyphant'', Vol. 9 (Summer 2002).

★ Tom O’Connor, “Vigilantism, Vigilante Justice, and Victim Self-help”

★ Stephen Faris, “Nigeria’s Vigilante Justice,” ''Mother Jones'' (April 25, 2002)

★ ''EyeWitness to History'', “Vigilante Justice, 1851”.

★ Steven F. Messner, Eric P. Baumer, and Richard Rosenfeld, “Distrust of Government, the Vigilante Tradition, and Support for Capital Punishment,” ''Law & Society Review'' (September 2006)

★ Vincent Moss, “The Paedo Vigilante”, ''Sunday Mirror'' (June 25 2006)

See also

★ Internet vigilantism

★ Anti-hero

★ People Against Gangsterism and Drugs

★ Bald Knobbers

★ Pixelante

★ San Francisco Vigilance Movement

★ Lynching

★ Jonathan Idema

★ Bounty Hunter

★ Honor Killing