Since the creation of government, certain trends have reoccurred throughout political history,… Since the creation of government, certain trends have reoccurred throughout political history, one of which being incompetent police and enforcement agencies. And when the government or police are unable to act, vigilantism has never been far behind.

Despite its prominence in both the past and in current times, the question of whether vigilantism is a heroic act or a disastrous overstep of power is still debatable. In the United States, especially, citizens desperately cling to our individualistic roots and to what some consider our Declaration-given right to take action when our government does not.

Yes, here in the country of freedom and independence, we all have a bit of a fascination with the dark rebel fighting the system. Look at some of our country’s most revered comic book heroes: Batman, Superman, Spider-Man, etc. And of course, we all have that secret dream of living out scenes from at least one (but probably all five) of the Death Wish movies. I know I do (Oh, to be Charles Bronson for a day!).

But the act of citizens taking the law into their own hands has become a global phenomenon, as well. In Kenya, for example, where the police have been busy dealing with the aftermath and opposition to its debatable election results, crime had dramatically risen – and so has vigilantism.

Citizens have been publicly, and in many cases killing, suspected thieves and criminals.

This is my major problem with vigilantes. There is rhyme or reason to how they go about enforcing the law. Governments set up court systems to prove guilt and use prisons to punish and (hopefully) rehabilitate criminals, but vigilantes just let them have it.

In this sense, the vigilante is like a wild animal, acting on the most basic animal instinct: to kill when threatened.

Never mind that in most court systems, one would never be killed for stealing someone else’s possessions, let alone food. Never mind that by publicly burning someone alive and simultaneously celebrating that death (with small children in attendance!) is only perpetuating the very anarchy the country is trying to overcome. Those rules don’t apply to the vigilante because his acts are being done in the name of justice