“Revenge is a dish best served cold” – Old Klingon Proverb
I’ve always been in love with vigilantism. Now before you blow a gasket on me I want you to understand what I mean. I don’t condone or very much care for this religious killing or payback that these governments and terrorists engage in. To me, that’s not being a vigilante, that’s being a murderer. To me, there’s really no killing in my type of vigilantism. How would someone learn a lesson? How would someone feel humbled or humiliated if they were dead? No, my type of justice is instant and livable. I think my form of instant justice is more of that of an everyday vigilante. When I see a wrong out in my world I want to right it. When I can’t or won’t correct that wrong I feel guilty. Again I don’t look at major crimes as something I should concern myself with. After all, murder, arson, rape and real crimes are police matters. While I do love a good vigilante story I know that in reality there’s a line that should not be crossed. This is why we have police. But there are minor crimes, crimes against decency, crimes against nature, crimes against fashion, crimes against respect and courtesy that should not go overlooked. Well maybe we can overlook fashion crimes. What is happening may not always be illegal or even toeing the line, but they are crimes to me nonetheless. When some douchebag gets comeuppance, it is a most enjoyable feeling.
It’s why I’ve always been attracted to the story of Batman. It’s why I love the movies Taxi Driver, Falling Down, Death Wish, and many more. It’s why I love Dexter. In a strange way seeing evil getting punished reinforces my belief in humanity. It makes me think there is balance out there in this clumsy world. But too often I see people treating other people like garbage and getting away with it. They do it because they’re bigger, tougher, stronger, richer, just plain evil, selfish or think they are better or entitled in some way. It’s not right.
Imagine yourself in traffic and some idiot cuts you and a few other people off rather recklessly all while chatting on his cell phone and is basically oblivious to all the people around him at that very moment. He is living in a self absorbed fantasy world or maybe he is playing a live action video game and then they hit the coup de grace by running the light right in front of all of you which was completely red by the time they reached it. Now imagine yourself driving a few blocks down and seeing that car on the side of the road with a flat tire and an angry driver. Tell me you wouldn’t feel good. Tell me a smile wouldn’t cross your lips because you felt like he got what he deserved. You’d think that’s what they get for being an asshole. If life were so just, if people really reaped what they sow this would happen to bad people all the time. Unfortunately it rarely happens that way without the instant gratification. People do messed up things and get away with them… or so it seems. Do they pay for them? You tell me what you believe. I imagine if and when they get what they deserve the people who were affected by the offending behavior never see it. They don’t know evil was repaid. They almost have to have faith that justice will occur someday. That’s how life can be unfair. Sometimes the thoughtful, respectful, law abiding person gets stepped on by a jerk. The jerk does this because they can. The good person does nothing because they are the good person or the victim.
“Nobody can give you freedom. Nobody can give you equality or justice or anything. If you're a man, you take it.” – Malcolm X
Some people tell me not to worry. They say it will all get balanced out in the next life or the after life or somewhere else down the metaphysical road. I’m not sure I believe that but I don’t know if that is right or wrong.
“I find your lack of faith disturbing” – Darth Vader
What if I don’t believe what you believe? What if I don’t believe in the next life or even the afterlife? Why would I have these feelings? I think it stems from a lack of faith. I don’t entirely believe that people will get paid back for the terrible things they do. Don’t get me wrong, I hope they do but I think I lack the faith. It amuses me because I do believe in personal karma. Gosh, I would never act like a jerk to people because I am afraid of the cosmic repercussions. Maybe if someone doesn’t believe in such things they have nothing to fear?
“Instant karma’s gonna get you” - John Lennon
What if they did have something to fear? The problem with most vigilantes is that they’ve snapped. They’ve had some sort of trigger which caused the mental break from reality. Now the realities of rules and consequences no longer apply. Their heart may be in the right place but their minds may be out to lunch. Now as much as I like lunch, lunch is for the belly, not the mind.
My point is, the chances of running into a vigilante are slim and the chances of seeing justice occur out in the world may be slimmer. So if you ever see a jerk, liar, douchebag or similar type of vermin get their just desserts, it’s okay to smile.
No comments:
Post a Comment