Vigilante Justice

On July 17 a gun-carrying civilian shot a shooter dead after the shooter killed three people in a Greenwood, Indiana mall. Some are calling the civilian who killed the shooter a “Good Samaritan” and a “hero”. The civilian, Elisjsha Dicken, had no gun permit: one is not needed in Indiana, nor is any training in gun use and safety. The mall in Greenwood prohibits the carrying of firearms on its premises.

So, is Mr. Dicken a hero? Not if you think law enforcement officials should handle crime incidents and that the legal system should deal with these matters. After all that is what civilized society is supposed to be about.

There are 400 million firearms owned by civilians in the US. At any given moment an unbalanced person may decide to open fire on fellow citizens. If vigilantism is encouraged, we can be having gunfights in public places, and it is likely that innocent bystanders will be killed.

(Sources: The New York Times, 7/17,18, 19, 21 and Fox News, 7/21/22)