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Real Life Vigilantes
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Almost Worth Knowing: Vigilantism doesn't pay... it's mostly volunteer.
In honor of The Dark Knight coming out tonight, I decided to do some blogging about vigilantism. Firstly, I'd like to steal a page out of the book of ADYates, over there at De Grypis. Wikipedia says:
The term vigilante are Spanish and Portuguese for "watchman" or "watcher," ultimately from Latin "vigilans"- the present participle of "vigilare" (to watch). Its etymology is closely related to (though its meaning very different from) that of the term vigilance. Note that the term vigilantism is a derivative of vigilante, not of vigilant or vigilance. The term vigilante was introduced into English from the northeast United States. Vigilantism is generally frowned upon by official agencies (who would otherwise encourage vigilance on the part of citizens), especially when it gives way to criminal behavior on the part of the vigilante.
It seems most vigilantes eventually become the very thing that they originally condemned, criminals. However, one group, still active today, seems to have fared a little bit better. The Guardian Angels was founded in 1979. They claim that they aren't vigilantes, but they were originally formed to perform "citizen arrests" in crime filled areas. Over the years, the group has evolved into more of an active safety patrol of sorts, with additional goals of educating the community. Nonetheless, they do teach their patrolling members martial arts. Hmmm, I wish I could make citizens arrests when I was on the safety patrol...
Challenge: Can you name the real life hero who leads a Guardian Angels chapter in Mexico City, but was a former Canadian, is a professional wrestler, a movie star, a former bodyguard for Milli Vanilli, and was previously asked to play hockey for the Ontario Hockey League? I bet even Bruce Wayne couldn't compare with this guy. Please feel free to use the Internets!
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9 comments, 1 trackback
Good etymology by Wikipedia. "vigilare" means both "to watch" and "to stay awake through the night," and thus we get the English "vigil." But the bit about the northeast is silly. The earliest citation, according to the OED, is 1865 in Charles Nordoff's "Man-of-War Life" concerning a band of sailors gone amok in Valparaiso, Chile. Interesting the sense in which it is used, actually...
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