h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Hiya. Just popping by- started reading a few threads on Ask to kill time a while ago and saw a thread where it seems a lot of people are condoning vigilantism, etc, depending on "context".

I have no interest in joining the thread because someone has already made comments there regarding vigilantism and circumventing the rights of an accused person to due process. Which makes me so mad I could spit. Especially as I've been victim of a violent crime like that, and I *did* do the right thing (i.e., use the criminal justice system).

Anyhoo I wanted to let you know that there are still some others of us out here who don't condone vigilantism and don't think violence is the correct way to respond to being dissed. Ever. Period. You're not the only one.

Hi, PC

Maybe there are reasons for it sometime, somewhere, that would be acceptable.

But the very casualness with which the story was told and with which everyone assumes that oh, of course, there *must* have been a good reason for it just frustrates me.

It's a problem I see quite a lot via our swordfighting trainer, who's a teacher at the Hauptschule - the school for the kids who fail the two more challenging ones. They usually have a lot of immigrants - not because they're less intelligent, but because there's a language and cultural barrier.

At these schools, violent "conflict resolution" is the norm, and the children grow up there and learn that this gets you "honour" - punching anyone who's weaker than you. That, of course, is now the stereotype of Turks and Russians and the other groups that end up there - that they'll lash out violently at the drop of a hat when provoked.

So other groups like to tease them. Making them lash out. Reinforcing the stereotype. Continuing the vicious circle. And you can't just say "Oh, it's cultural." and ignore it, because obviously it's not cultural. It's people who weren't given a chance to prove themselves in other ways. But anytime that kind of thing is supported - "Well done standing up for yourself!" it perpetuates that behaviour, and thus the stereotype in which everyone is caught. It may temporarily help that one person, but pulls down everyone else. The ones who do make it out usually do so by someone showing them that they're not impressed.

I agree that we should be able and free to defend ourselves from genuine danger, but not necessarily do whatever we see fit to do to defend our "honor".

There is a vicious circle. I'd read a bit in that thread where there was some back and forth regarding different types of racism. I see this sometimes, for example from time to time one will encounter black people who dislike or distrust whites, and assume anytime someone mistreats them it's because they are black. And while it's no always necessarily the case, I totally understand where it comes from- there was a time in recent memory where all or most white people did engage in racism against blacks, at least passively if not actively.

I've also had people do really awful things to me and wanted to fight back. One person hurt me so badly there is a part of me that will still like to see that person dead. But I don't have a right to be judge, jury and executioner.

I'm sorry that boy picked on you and that his father was as much of a as well. Glad you didn't punch him in the nose, though. You'd only have reinforced his negative ideas and he may have gone on to do far worse.

And you turned out all right, for sure.

>>I don't have a right to be judge, jury and executioner.<<

That's a very, very grown-up thing to realise, especially when you've been hurt (sorry about that ) - congratulations

Civilisation means compromise.

The difficult part to realize about that compromise is this- you never know when a time may come when you might be the one accused of harming, wronging, insulting another. Wouldn't it be good to know that you could count on people doing the right thing?

I'd much rather someone guilty of something go unpunished than someone's life be ruined over nothing.

I also have no sympathy or tolerance for people who think the answer is to send a mob around to rough someone up. And those who try to conflate a barroom brawl or a woman who's had too much to drink and got off with someone and then felt remorseful about it afterward or people who willingly choose to stay in relationships or situations where they're subject to abuse with people who are genuinely bullied or subjugated are full of it, IMO.

Sorry you're feeling ganged up on. It's why I don't get into those discussions anymore- I once made a comment that I thought people who file false police reports and accuse other people falsely should be prosecuted and punished; I found myself attacked by one hell of a lynch mob.

Nobody's pulled a knife on me, so it doesn't matter

But nice to know that not everybody's fallen for the being strong means being violent thing.

Yeah, at least no one's threatened to punch you in the nose.

Heh, they'd better just try it. I have no problem with using violence in self-defence, and my sword's leaning against the wardrobe behind me

Kidding, mostly...


Anyway, I consider that stupid argument over. Let them go beat one another up if they think it helps anything.

Yep. I won't say another word about it. But it's reassuring to me to know that there are other people out there who feel the same as I do. Makes the world a little nicer place to live in.

How's the hunt for a school program and location going?

There's a wonderful German author called Erich Kästner - he wrote well for both children and adults, which isn't easy. And he did poetry, too. One of his poems is called "Fantasie von Übermorgen" - fantasy of the day after tomorrow - and it starts "Und als der nächste Krieg begann, da sagten die Frauen: Nein!" (And when the next war started, the women said: No!)

They all lock up their sons and husbands in their houses, and then go visit all the generals and give them a good spanking. Then they go home and tell their men the war is over.

Sometimes, I wish it were feasible...


It looks like I'll have to do something else for a year after all - so I'm currently looking at volunteer organisations.