> Joanna asks:
>
> > Why is punishment administered by the state acceptable but punishment
> > administered by an individual, not?
>
> For one thing, that law is fairly representative of a civil society;
>
> /jordan
Fairly representative of whose civil society?
This society does seem to condone vigilantism though doesn't it?
It's a thorny issue in my mind. Not at all black and white. If we lived in a society that didn't hold one or more gender, class, race, whatever, inferior and we could be reasonably assured of some semblance of justice (not perfect just much better than what we have) I'd probably feel that vigilantism wasn't justified. I don't imagine I live there but perhaps many of you imagine you do.
What is kind of amusing, at least to me, is that this thread started with a comment about The Sopranos, a program I do not watch not least of all because I believe it glorifies violence. I don't read true crime books either. Ghastly things based on the few I flipped through that belonged to a relation.
1) Tue Jan 3 2006 (Winnipeg Free Press)
YOU won't be surprised that Child and Family Services will appear in court next week to speak to the custody of a seven-year-old who was brutally raped on Boxing Day night.
What may surprise, but not disappoint you, is that the father isn't facing charges himself for what he did to the man he found in his daughter's bedroom shortly before midnight.
What he did was start by punching and kicking and stomping on the man, who kept calling him "Bro," if you can imagine.
Then, in his frenzy, the father tried to castrate him with his bare hands.
When that attempt at taking justice into his own hands failed, he grabbed a shovel and began wielding it like an axe. That was followed by a belt whipping so severe that the father recalled leaving the attacker branded with black buckle marks.
Between each attack, he said he would run into the hallways of his walk-up apartment and scream for help.
When no one answered his plea, he would return to his suite and pick up where he left off. The last time he thought he had killed him.
"I touched him with my boot," he said, "and he wasn't moving. He wasn't breathing. I thought I killed him."
2) Sunday, June 26, 2005 Mother Sets Fire To Her Daughter's Gloating Rapist
A Spanish mother has taken revenge on the man who raped her 13-year-old daughter at knifepoint by dousing him in petrol and setting him alight. He died of his injuries in hospital on Friday.
Antonio Cosme Velasco Soriano, 69, had been sent to jail for nine years in 1998, but was let out on a three- day pass and returned to his home town of Benejúzar, 30 miles south of Alicante, on the Costa Blanca.
While there, he passed his victim's mother in the street and allegedly taunted her about the attack. He is said to have called out "How's your daughter?", before heading into a crowded bar.
Shortly after, the woman walked into the bar, poured a bottle of petrol over Soriano and lit a match. She watched as the flames engulfed him, before walking out.
The woman fled to Alicante, where she was arrested the same evening. When she appeared in court the next day in the town of Orihuela, she was cheered and clapped by a crowd, who shouted "Bravo!" and "Well done!"
I'll let Woody have the last word in this email.
Have you seen that vigilante man? Have you seen that vigilante man? Have you seen that vigilante man? I been hearin' his name all over the land.
Well, what is a vigilante man? Tell me, what is a vigilante man? Has he got a gun and a club in his hand? Is that a vigilante man?
Rainy night down in the engine house, Sleepin' just as still as a mouse, Man come along an' he chased us out in the rain. Was that a vigilante man?
Stormy days we passed the time away, Sleepin' in some good warm place. Man come along an' we give him a little race. Was that a vigilante man?
Preacher Casey was just a workin' man, And he said, "Unite all you working men." Killed him in the river some strange man. Was that a vigilante man?
Oh, why does a vigilante man, Why does a vigilante man Carry that sawed-off shot-gun in his hand? Would he shoot his brother and sister down?
I rambled 'round from town to town, I rambled 'round from town to town, And they herded us around like a wild herd of cattle. Was that the vigilante men?
Have you seen that vigilante man? Have you seen that vigilante man? I've heard his name all over this land.