by R.A. Scott

Created on: March 20, 2008   Last Updated: June 07, 2011

Whenever it seems to people that crime is on the rise and things are getting out of control their thoughts turn to taking the law into their own hands. There are several problems with this line of thinking however.

The first problem is that crime has actually dropped especially violent crime. The media however exploits what does happen and they create fear in people. Fear is a good motivator in getting people to tune back into their news the following day for another dose of scary stuff. The fact remains that crime has dropped over the past 30 years.

Vigilantism simply leads to more violence and then otherwise innocent people become criminals and end up in jail. Vigilantes are not law keepers but rather they are criminals and will be treated as such by the law, except maybe in Texas which has laws unto its self.

There can also be a perceived problem with policing. Some folks will suggest that the community peace officers can not do anything to stop crime. Sometimes this is truly out of their hands; it might a function of the laws that exist. If that is the case, and people need to investigate the situation, then they need to change the laws. Changing the laws involves some work. It means petitioning those who make the laws and letting them know of your concerns, if the changes are just then the changes will be made, hopefully.

It is often gun cultures that look to take the law into their own hands. In Texas, there is apparently a law which allows you to shoot and kill someone breaking into your home. Now they are going to determine if you can shoot and kill those who have broken into your neighbors' home. I think that if the gentleman who killed those fellows after they broke into his neighbors' home get off then that could easily lead to lawless all around. That is not a good situation.

When there is a sense of lawlessness then there is a complete break down in society. That's why legal codes, Hammurabi's code, first came into existence. Laws have never been perfect and they still aren't but they change with time and necessity. Vigilantism has become illegal for a good reason and no person should try to change it by taking the law into their own hands.

Change the law the legal way and you'll never end up in jail and society as a whole will be much happier. There is nothing good in committing a crime in the name of preventing crime.

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