Category: Uncategorized
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Is Die Hard a Vigilante Movie?
Is Die Hard a vigilante movie? Is John McClane a vigilante? Some people will be surprised at the question. After all, John McClane is a cop, right? Those people may be surprised to hear that that doesn’t settle the matter. Recall that McClane is a New York cop, taking matters into his own hands in…
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Mangione and Penny: Two Vigilantes, Compared*
[Note: this blog is part of a research project. It is not especially aimed at a broad public, though people are of course welcome to read it. Consider everything here a first draft. The words below are not aimed at praising or blaming, but — for now, at least — at understanding.] Two vigilantes have…
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Daniel Penny: Another Case of Vigilante Excess?
[Note: this blog is part of a research project. It is not especially aimed at a broad public. It’s a place for the author to keep notes, and it is made public in case others find it useful or interesting. Please do not quote.] Daniel Penny pretty obviously choked Jordan Neely to death — even…
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Killing of Healthcare CEO: Vigilantism?
[Note: this blog is part of a research project. It is not especially aimed at a broad public. It’s a place for the author to keep notes, and it is made public in case others find it useful or interesting.] This week a healthcare executive — UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson — was murdered in New…
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LaserPhasers Are for Weenies
By William Harms (Note: this short piece was originally published in 1998, in Radar: Ethics & Technology Review, a publication that no longer exists. It was written in response to “A Laser in My Pocket.”) Dear Siskel: In the part of Orange County I used to live in, they too figured out innovations in grassroots norms…
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A Laser in My Pocket
A Laser1 in My Pocket2By Chris MacDonald (Note: this short essay was originally published in 1998, in Radar: Ethics & Technology Review, a publication that no longer exists.) “I parked my mountain bike against a tree by the side of 16th Avenue, and removed my helmet. The cars exiting Pacific Spirit Park zoomed past me, entering…
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Vigilantism: What’s in a name?
Vigilantism goes by many names: Jeddart justice. Rough justice. Mob rule. Lynching (after Judge Charles Lynch, and his activities during the American revolutionary war) The folks who carry out vigilantism likewise have gone under many monikers: Vigilance committees. Committees of public safety (a name adopted at least by some groups in civil-war era Texas —…
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Welcome
This is a new blog about the ethics of vigilantism. I have no idea how often I’ll post. The term “Jeddart Justice,” taken literally, is a reference to the practice of carrying out execution prior to trial. It’s a reference to the town of Jedburgh, located near Edinburgh, Scotland, and an anecdote or anecdotes about…
Jeddart Justice 