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'Vigilante justice' is better than no justice
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Posted: December 6, 2002
1:00 a.m. Eastern
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=29900
© 2002 WorldNetDaily.com
Residents of Arizona, Texas and other increasingly lawless regions of the country are tired of being ignored and are taking matters into their own hands, though their actions are drawing the ire – and fear – of authorities.
Recently Chris Simcox, the editor of Arizona weekly the Tucson Tumbleweed, wrote an editorial in which he said he was fed up with waiting for the federal government to do its job and get serious about enforcing the national borders of this country – especially in an era of increased terrorism.
In response, Simcox said he was forming a citizen's militia to patrol vast expanses of Arizona's border with Mexico, in an effort to stem the flow of illegal immigrants, drugs and potential terrorists – all of which are doing damage to Arizona specifically and the nation in general.
To date, more than 600 people have volunteered to become members of what Simcox calls Civilian Homeland Defense. Tomorrow, the first 50 of those volunteers will be inducted into the unit and begin a course of training that includes qualification for a state-issued concealed weapons permit, which will include a federal background check – a way of screening out the crazies and criminals.
State officials are referring to Simcox as a purveyor of hate, though his effort has everything to do with enhancing citizen security and nothing to do with racism. Gov.-elect Janet Napolitano, a Democrat, has labeled Simcox's effort vigilantism, and says there is "no room" in Arizona for anyone who takes the law into their own hands.
A similar-minded group of people in Texas have formed a group called Ranch Rescue. They, too, are tired of seeing their property overrun by alien invaders and drug runners.
Meanwhile in Houston, residents of one neighborhood – who are fed up with cowering from street gangs – have decided to stop waiting for police to protect them, so they have decided to protect themselves.
"The loose collaboration that includes dads, military veterans and young men who spurned gangs has gone on the offensive, patrolling for gang members and attacking at least one when they believed they had caught him committing a crime," reported the Houston Chronicle.
"If we have to use violence, we'll use it," said Frank Black, the posse's leader.
Police responded by saying they would not tolerate "vigilante justice" and would arrest lawbreakers, regardless of which side they're on.
Though these are prime examples of American patriotism, individual initiative and pride, the reaction of officialdom has been pathetic and outrageous. Rather than celebrate the fact that there are still Americans willing to help by putting their own lives at risk to protect others in increasingly lawless regions, officials threaten them instead.
One official, Assistant Police Chief Charles McClelland, even said Black's efforts could backfire and touch off a new gang skirmish – one between the residents and street thugs. Using his logic, that's like saying more police would incite the gangs to battle cops. Senseless.
Why does officialdom fear it when Americans stand up for themselves? Is it because they fear irrelevance? Do our officials worry that we may find we don't need them – or, at least, as many of them – anymore?
In each of these cases, ordinary people are reacting with courage in extraordinary circumstances. These are actions taken by people who are fed up with the inaction of politicians, leaders and other officials who are charged with handling both these problems.
But for their gallantry, those who were brave enough to stand up and be counted are themselves chastised, ridiculed and threatened.
Part of the problem isn't with the law enforcers themselves. Politicians adopting self-serving, politically correct policies often tie the hands of those who are charged with keeping the peace. That means that part of the problem also lies with the people who elect those politicians.
Still, law enforcement and border security are pretty cut and dried. And absent the proper authorities, Americans are expected to merely accept being abused, victimized, mistreated and even killed by radical criminal elements.
Should Americans continue to take that kind of abuse? If our forefathers had done that, the British Union Jack would be flying from Washington to San Francisco instead of the Stars and Stripes.
The fact that more Americans are saying "no" to bad leadership, bad policies and official incompetence is a good thing for our country and our communities, though such attitudes don't fare well for the control freaks at the top who would rather we rely on them.
"Vigilante justice," therefore, is better than no justice at all.
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Jon E. Dougherty is a staff reporter and columnist for WorldNetDaily, and author of the special report, "Election 2000: How the Military Vote Was Suppressed."
'Vigilante justice' is better than no justice
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted: December 6, 2002
1:00 a.m. Eastern
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=29900
© 2002 WorldNetDaily.com
Residents of Arizona, Texas and other increasingly lawless regions of the country are tired of being ignored and are taking matters into their own hands, though their actions are drawing the ire – and fear – of authorities.
Recently Chris Simcox, the editor of Arizona weekly the Tucson Tumbleweed, wrote an editorial in which he said he was fed up with waiting for the federal government to do its job and get serious about enforcing the national borders of this country – especially in an era of increased terrorism.
In response, Simcox said he was forming a citizen's militia to patrol vast expanses of Arizona's border with Mexico, in an effort to stem the flow of illegal immigrants, drugs and potential terrorists – all of which are doing damage to Arizona specifically and the nation in general.
To date, more than 600 people have volunteered to become members of what Simcox calls Civilian Homeland Defense. Tomorrow, the first 50 of those volunteers will be inducted into the unit and begin a course of training that includes qualification for a state-issued concealed weapons permit, which will include a federal background check – a way of screening out the crazies and criminals.
State officials are referring to Simcox as a purveyor of hate, though his effort has everything to do with enhancing citizen security and nothing to do with racism. Gov.-elect Janet Napolitano, a Democrat, has labeled Simcox's effort vigilantism, and says there is "no room" in Arizona for anyone who takes the law into their own hands.
A similar-minded group of people in Texas have formed a group called Ranch Rescue. They, too, are tired of seeing their property overrun by alien invaders and drug runners.
Meanwhile in Houston, residents of one neighborhood – who are fed up with cowering from street gangs – have decided to stop waiting for police to protect them, so they have decided to protect themselves.
"The loose collaboration that includes dads, military veterans and young men who spurned gangs has gone on the offensive, patrolling for gang members and attacking at least one when they believed they had caught him committing a crime," reported the Houston Chronicle.
"If we have to use violence, we'll use it," said Frank Black, the posse's leader.
Police responded by saying they would not tolerate "vigilante justice" and would arrest lawbreakers, regardless of which side they're on.
Though these are prime examples of American patriotism, individual initiative and pride, the reaction of officialdom has been pathetic and outrageous. Rather than celebrate the fact that there are still Americans willing to help by putting their own lives at risk to protect others in increasingly lawless regions, officials threaten them instead.
One official, Assistant Police Chief Charles McClelland, even said Black's efforts could backfire and touch off a new gang skirmish – one between the residents and street thugs. Using his logic, that's like saying more police would incite the gangs to battle cops. Senseless.
Why does officialdom fear it when Americans stand up for themselves? Is it because they fear irrelevance? Do our officials worry that we may find we don't need them – or, at least, as many of them – anymore?
In each of these cases, ordinary people are reacting with courage in extraordinary circumstances. These are actions taken by people who are fed up with the inaction of politicians, leaders and other officials who are charged with handling both these problems.
But for their gallantry, those who were brave enough to stand up and be counted are themselves chastised, ridiculed and threatened.
Part of the problem isn't with the law enforcers themselves. Politicians adopting self-serving, politically correct policies often tie the hands of those who are charged with keeping the peace. That means that part of the problem also lies with the people who elect those politicians.
Still, law enforcement and border security are pretty cut and dried. And absent the proper authorities, Americans are expected to merely accept being abused, victimized, mistreated and even killed by radical criminal elements.
Should Americans continue to take that kind of abuse? If our forefathers had done that, the British Union Jack would be flying from Washington to San Francisco instead of the Stars and Stripes.
The fact that more Americans are saying "no" to bad leadership, bad policies and official incompetence is a good thing for our country and our communities, though such attitudes don't fare well for the control freaks at the top who would rather we rely on them.
"Vigilante justice," therefore, is better than no justice at all.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jon E. Dougherty is a staff reporter and columnist for WorldNetDaily, and author of the special report, "Election 2000: How the Military Vote Was Suppressed."