Ever Want to be a Vigilante?

[Lysander]

This morning I woke up to a very disturbing story from my parents. Apparently at 2 am in the morning my parents woke up and heard a man beating a woman while they walk down our street. Apparently she was screaming at him to please stop hurting hurt, while he was just screaming at her to shut up. My parents at first thought it was some drunks (we get drunks on our street a bit) and it took them awhile to register what was going on (my mum uses earplugs and my dad snores). They then bolted up, but didn't do much. They where to scared that if they intervened that it might endanger the rest of the family. My sister woke up, but was to scared to do anything, but go to my parents. I was dead asleep with out dog, because we both had stayed awake till around 1 am. I didn't hear any of this or anything; I just heard the story this morning. My mum apparently got enough courage to go outside and peek around some bushes she didn't have anything because the only thing on hand was kitchen knives and a sledgehammer that she couldn't really use. They had moved down the street by then and she was just whimpering and he was getting quieter. My mum forgot to grab her phone so she didn't know what to do. They both then stayed up for a few hours worrying over what to do. Apparently they didn't call the cops, because they thought that what little info they had wouldn't be helpful and would just make them frustrated with my parents. My mums now trying to figure out if she calls the crime stoppers hotline.

Anyways I know that if I had been up I would have grabbed the sledgehammer and ran after the dude yelling at him to leave her alone. I would also tell my parents to call the cops. And tell him that the cops where coming I would try to talk him down, but if he didn't I would react violently to protect her. Fuck the danger, when someone else is in trouble I don't give a shit. Now I'm really pissed at myself for not being able to help.

My question is what would you do in that situation? Have you ever had crime around you that you felt you could have stopped? If so did you stop it? Do you wish you could have?

Edit: I now realise that this doesn't really fit the whole "positivity month" >.>

 

[Zen]

I would have done something yes. It wouldn't have sat well on my conscience if I knew that there was someone outside being beaten, especially in a neighborhood where there are people around. And even if I had known that the guy had a gun, I would at least call the cops. I know my family would have left them alone because like your parents, they would have been afraid of their family getting hurt. That thought process actually scares me. What does that say to your kids, that it's okay to let someone else get beaten because you're too scared to do something as simple as calling the cops?

 

[Cosmic Orion]

How is beating a man who is mistreating a woman NOT positive?

 

[Lysander]

I wouldn't have tried to beat him up though I may have very well wanted too. That's even saying I would be able to beat up him, who knows what he looked like or if he was intoxicated. Any violence that would happen would mostly just be me trying to get her way from him. Though actually beating a man up for mistreating a woman in some misguided want for revenge or justice....ya that isn't positive or right. Two wrongs don't make a right after all.

 

[Nikolai]

I would have attempted to stop the man as well. I am sorry to hear you were not up to help. Honest. I would've gone out and attempted to beat the shit out of the man for doing what he did.

 

[Villamvihar]

I would have probably called the police, because I am not a violent person, nor I am someone who is really threatening. I would probably not result to vigilantism, although the thought has occured to me at times, especially if I have encountered people who were colossal jerks. Fortunately, though, I have not yet been in a situation where I had to call the police or any of the emergency services.

 

[Metal_Baby_Lulu]

I would have called the police first and then done what I could to protect her. I own guns so I would have simply threatened him with the gun enough to get her inside my home where he could not come in and if he tried, tresspassing gives me the right to shoot if I am defending myself and my home. When I lived in Chicago I had an issue with some man on the street and called out for help as well as I was being tossed around and no one called the cops for me either, it wasn't until an old woman who happened to be driving down the road stopped and called the cops while threatening him that he took off, all over a wallet that I didn't have on me. I thanked that woman for having the courage at her old age to stand up to a creep for a random stranger. I would never be able to sit and listen to something like that happening and not be that person for someone else and help them.

 

[Fiaryn]

Being female, I would have called the cops, armed myself, and offered to let the woman in until the police arrived. In that one offer, you then can legally turn it into a situation where he becomes a trespasser and you can then act in self defense (in most states as far as I know). In addition to that, you give her the chance to file any charges. At the very least, you can create the opportunity for a possibly deadly argument to turn itself around. You could even be offering a battered wife the chance to get documentation of her abusive husband's behavior, which would help her escape with any children they might have. And thank you to all who would step in, whether violently or not. If you know your rights you can be a legal vigilante ;]

 

[Super Cat]

Most states have some type of stand your ground or castle law in place. But you guys might want to double check your state laws just in case something like this ever happens. In certain states you can still get royally screwed over even if someone breaks into your house and you shoot them. I know that one state like that is California. But from what I understand you are usually okay as long as they have a weapon that can be considered a deadly weapon. As well it seems like it is better to kill the criminal rather than be kind and let him live.

I have heard stories of people having criminals break in and they injure or incapacitate them. The criminal will bring them to court for some bullshit reason and the defendant will win. Then the family of that criminal will go after the person again in civil court or something and end up winning somehow and that means the person will have to pay them a crapload of money. Which I think is ridiculous.

But to answer the subject, no I don't want to be a vigilante. If the situation comes up where I need to protect myself or someone I care about than I will easily do it. If I see someone I don't know being hurt I would definitely call the police. Then if I had my firearms with me I would go out and attempt to help the woman or scare off the man. But I am not some UFC fighter so there is no way I would try to take someone on without a firearm.

 

[October Knight]

I was a super hero vigilante once, now I am just a convicted felon.

In a world with laws and order, you gotta call the proper authorties and let them handle things, or else face possible jail time.

 

[The Fox and The Spider]

How is beating a man who is mistreating a woman NOT positive?

If only the world was so simple, a long time ago when me and my friends were hanging by the lake. We saw a man beating his wife with an oar, I ran in and knocked the guy down and yelled at him. The woman he was beating picked up the oar and started assaulting me for aiding her, claiming I had no right to knock down her abusive man. A friend of mine is in jail for aiding a woman being beaten, after defending her he called the police and she told the police that he started wailing on her man without reason, denying the whole incident. After these two experiences I have deduced that if a woman wants help she needs to ask for it, less you find yourself in a bad position. Some have adapted to accept such treatment as acceptable, and or are too frighten to accept help even if the man is down or could be removed from her life. I have learned in life that one should only help those who wish to be helped, to act otherwise is a waste of energy and time. As the old saying goes..."You can lead a horse to water, but can't make it drink..."