Ending Chapters Discussion: Justice

[Stephanie]

How is the idea of vigilante justice carried out in this book? Do you think it is ever appropriate for someone to take the law into their own hands?

This thread is appropriate for those who have read the entire book. Please be forewarned, there will be spoilers in this thread.

[KathyS]

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Stephanie wrote:
How is the idea of vigilante justice carried out in this book? Do you think it is ever appropriate for someone to take the law into their own hands?

This thread is appropriate for those who have read the entire book. Please be forewarned, there will be spoilers in this thread.

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Now is it carried out? A lot of characters involved in this tale of vengeance. All spurned from a daughter's wrath turned towards her father. Justified wrath, but gone askew.

Appropriate? The human instinct would be to say yes, retaliate, revenge....but not the rational side of thinking.....I would have to say no.

I was going to get biblical on you, but I changed my mind.

[Stephanie]

An eye for an eye?

I'm not sure how I feel about vigilante justice. I do know that when the people unite in neighborhoods and say No More to drug dealers and local criminals, they leave. Not immediately, and not always peacefully. Lawlessness is another issue entirely- there is no room for that in my thinking.

The vengeance in this story was lawless, and as you said, the wrath misplaced. I didn't agree with it- I found it distasteful and wrong. I had figured out some of it, but not all.

[KathyS]

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Stephanie wrote:
An eye for an eye?

I'm not sure how I feel about vigilante justice. I do know that when the people unite in neighborhoods and say No More to drug dealers and local criminals, they leave. Not immediately, and not always peacefully. Lawlessness is another issue entirely- there is no room for that in my thinking.

The vengeance in this story was lawless, and as you said, the wrath misplaced. I didn't agree with it- I found it distasteful and wrong. I had figured out some of it, but not all.

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Vigilante justice is reminiscent of the *wild* west....But, in this day and age, it's lawless. Yes, agreed on your summation.

[kiakar]

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Stephanie wrote:
An eye for an eye?

I'm not sure how I feel about vigilante justice. I do know that when the people unite in neighborhoods and say No More to drug dealers and local criminals, they leave. Not immediately, and not always peacefully. Lawlessness is another issue entirely- there is no room for that in my thinking.

The vengeance in this story was lawless, and as you said, the wrath misplaced. I didn't agree with it- I found it distasteful and wrong. I had figured out some of it, but not all.

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Yes, the vigilante can get whey out of hand!. That person can get masterful in his or her mind and believe they are God. With the neighborhood drug thing, its quite different, its just getting the job done, helping someone else but for revenge of someone who did something to someone else, it gets out of hand quick. We are not God and we shouldnt ever put ourselves in a position of judgment and punishment on someone else. With drug dealers, its more persistance of origanization, and not really taking punishment in your own hand.

[Stephanie]

Linda,

Good distinctions- I like the idea of moms in a neighborhood taking control and kicking out the criminal element. On the other hand, there are people who ride the subways in NY to keep people safe- that's vigilantism also, but again, to protect others. The revenge aspect is where your God-complex seems to fall into the equation. Perhaps the intentions start out good, but there's a road downhill paved with those, isn't there?