[Jubilee is sitting on her bed. In her lap is fabric and she's slowly sewing by hand. She looks contemplative.]With all the talk lately, I thought I'd ask a question
( Read more... )
Mmm. See, it isn't that cut and dried where I'm from. Because there are criminals that normal cops can't handle. So, people like me do and turn them over to specialized facilities that are supposedly made to handle them. And what about alien threats? Or interdimensional ones? These are things that we handle, because the regular authorities just aren't able to.
And yeah, it'd be great if they'd give us our credit, but they don't. However, they've got no problem stepping outta the way and letting us get hurt instead.
Now, if you're trying to attach some sort of judgment to the term-- to say that a vigilante is something good or bad-- that's when things get more complex. It has nothing to do with what the police are equipped to handle. From a legal standpoint, you're vigilantes.
Ah, but see, depending on your standpoint, one man's vigilante is another man's hero.
As I said, in my world, there were threats that the regular authorities - up to and including the standing militaries - just were not equipped to handle. We, meaning my merry little band of mutants, did. And we got nothing for it. No pay, no thanks, nothing. We weren't looking for it. We did it because it was the right thing to do.
Yes. Because you're not law enforcement officers, officially sanctioned or approved to have anything to do with the capture and processing of criminals.
It would seem you take the word "vigilante" as a bad thing, though as I said, its definition is really only in the status of the individual.
Because where I'm from the word 'mutant' is a curse. To use the word 'vigilante' to marginalize us further, when we aren't even considered human is just adding insult to injury.
Because the law is flawed, but it is the backbone of society. It can be revised and refined as time goes by-- but if you hold no regard for it, in the minds of many, you lose the right to claim it should also protect you.
So, I'm being held to a law that gives me no protections, in some places makes it legal to hunt mutants, and will not even grant me some basic human rights... yet, if I defend myself in any way shape or form - without even bringing powers into it - I'm in the wrong. And you call it simply flawed.
You didn't say anything about defending yourself. You asked why you should even follow the law. There is a massive difference between defending yourself from an attack and ignoring the law because it's unfair to you.
Not to mention that the laws of this world have absolutely no stipulations that make it legal to hunt mutants or people with powers. Perhaps the laws in your world did, but you're not held to that law anymore.
So basically, if you beat up and arrest criminals and you're not a cop-- you are a vigilante.
Reply
And yeah, it'd be great if they'd give us our credit, but they don't. However, they've got no problem stepping outta the way and letting us get hurt instead.
Reply
Now, if you're trying to attach some sort of judgment to the term-- to say that a vigilante is something good or bad-- that's when things get more complex. It has nothing to do with what the police are equipped to handle. From a legal standpoint, you're vigilantes.
Reply
Reply
Reply
As I said, in my world, there were threats that the regular authorities - up to and including the standing militaries - just were not equipped to handle. We, meaning my merry little band of mutants, did. And we got nothing for it. No pay, no thanks, nothing. We weren't looking for it. We did it because it was the right thing to do.
Does that still make us vigilantes?
Reply
It would seem you take the word "vigilante" as a bad thing, though as I said, its definition is really only in the status of the individual.
Reply
Because where I'm from the word 'mutant' is a curse. To use the word 'vigilante' to marginalize us further, when we aren't even considered human is just adding insult to injury.
Reply
Reply
And ya know, I have to ask this: Why should I follow a law that doesn't consider me human?
Reply
Reply
Reply
Not to mention that the laws of this world have absolutely no stipulations that make it legal to hunt mutants or people with powers. Perhaps the laws in your world did, but you're not held to that law anymore.
Reply
Reply
Reply
Reply
Leave a comment