Vigilante Justice: Would You Kill If There was No Law?

Most of us have thought, at least for a fleeting moment, about killing someone who has done wrong to us or someone we love. If the law wouldn't stop you, would you actually act on those thoughts?

Sometimes walking yourself through a hypothetical situation can tell you a lot about who you are. So picture this: Imagine you live in a world where vigilantes are accepted. Killing for a cause is not considered a crime. In this world, would you become a vigilante and kill people, or would you find the idea objectionable?

I happen to have a lot of pent up hate and rage. In this hypothetical world, you can bet your bippy I'd sign up to hand out some old-fashioned justice. Not just for myself either, but for other victims of crime and abuse. There is so much wrong in the world, I can't imagine standing by and letting it go unpunished.

Now, when I give it serious thought, I know that I wouldn't kill that many people. Some might go out and kill the family member that abused them, or the person who raped them of the crook that robbed them blind. Not me. No, these are not offenses worthy of death. And honestly, I think some things are worse than death, and therefore better punishment.

I would likely track down those who abused me as a child and maim them, leaving them with physical scars to mirror my emotional and psychological ones. I would gladly turn that rapist into a eunuch. I would cut off the hand of the thief. And this is the justice I would offer for others as well. Killing would be reserved only for those who had committed murder.

Now, I'm sure some of you reading this are appalled. How could anyone think of such things? Be honest though, you've probably had your dark little fantasies too. We are a vengeful and vindictive species, it's in our nature. But killing is wrong! That concept is most certainly a matter of perspective.

We put people on death row on a regular basis. When the time comes for them to finally walk that last mile, what lies ahead? For lethal injection, someone has to stick the needle in. With electrocution, someone has to flip the switch. Back in days past someone had to do the hanging or beheading. But do we think of these people as murderers, or do we think of them as people saddled with the grim task of performing a necessary deed?

Justice means different things to different people, and perhaps it doesn't make you a bad person if you would be willing to become a vigilante. Much like any executioner, you would be doing a greater good committing a necessary evil. So think to yourself, what would you do, and what would your reasons be? Would you give only true justice, or use the lack of law as an excuse to murder innocent people? It certainly gives you something to think about.