Throughout the course of English 201 we examined a pop culture representation of extrajudicial police killing and the ways the representation is undermined by actual police procedure. We examined the social, legal, and historical consequences of legislatively sanctioned vigilante behavior. As the course went on, my views of vigilante behavior have changed. In the beginning i was able to explain with facts how vigilante behavior is justified. As we came to a close of the course and the topic, i was able to justify the exact opposite. Through cases and articles given in class, i can conclude that vigilante behavior is not justified and should result in appropriate punishment.
In the beginning of the course we looked at the movie Dirty Harry and analyzed the protagonists actions. The message portrayed in the film was to show that vigilante justice is a way to help society fight the war between catching criminals who resist arrest and shoot back at arresting cops or any type of governmental authority. It is perceived as an act of self-defense and lawfully imposed. This allowed the audience to understand Harry in regards to his actions with Scorpio, the criminal in the film, because of how he was able to convince the audience of his credibility. Dirty Harry was able to complement the idea of extrajudicial killings. The structure of the film allowed its audience to gain knowledge, seek emotion, as well as be persuaded at the idea of why Callahan does what he does. As a whole, the movie was able to convince me and the audiance as to how extrajudicial killings are justified.
At the same time as watching the film, we looked into the NYPD’s use of force report. This helped piece to an explanation to support extrajudicial killings being justified. The NYPD use of force report is a way the state has tracked firearm discharges since 1971. The report includes yearly data that shows a various amount of dischargers done by the police and how the discharges have decreased. Through persuasion and credibility, The audience was able to be aware of where the police report have come from. This allowed them to gain an understanding of the main points made in the report. The NYPD police report states that they serve to use force as protection for life and property as well as to prevent escapes. Through the use of ethos, pathos, andlogos, the audience is convinced of an argument by creating an emotional response to an impassioned plea or a convincing story. The report directly states, “NYPD firearms training emphasizes that the principal goal of every police officer is to protect life, including the lives of bystanders, victims, subjects, and other officers. Yet, it is sometimes necessary to protect life by using deadly physical force. To make the right decision about whether and how to use deadly force, an officer relies on judgment, skill, and most importantly, training.” By saying this, the police are able to touch the feelings and emotions of the reader evoking a feeling of pity or sympathetic sorrow as they explain what they do and why they do it. In summary, the structure of the NYPD police report allows the audience to view the strategies they used to make a persuasive argument in favor of extrajudicial killings. Dirty Harry also was able to complement the idea of extrajudicial killings. The structure of the film allowed its audience to gain knowledge, seek emotion, as well as be persuaded why Callahan does what he does. As a whole, both the report and movie are great examples of how extrajudicial killings are justified. This beginning lesson on vigilante behavior was a start for my argument as to why i agreed that it is in fact justified.
However continuing on with the course, we took apart articles in which the authors had different views on vigilantism. Both Millers and Guis’ writing pieces, help illuminate vigilante behavior and self defense. They begin building their credibility with personal facts and reputable sources, citing convincing facts and statistics, and successfully employing emotional appeals. As both authors have two distinctive ways on evoking their concerns, What the authors hope their readers get out of there writing is relatively similar. Vigilantism can be looked at as an opponent in each author’s argument. Vigilantes think they are doing something right by doing the job of police officers, but they are interfering with the justice system we have in place. Vigilantes may have the right to punish bad people, but they need to do so based on the law system we have in place, otherwise it can’t get out of control and who is to say if justice was served. Through each of these articles, i was able to gain a better understanding of why vigilante behavior is not justified. My ability to understand the topic grew, and i became more aware of it when analyzing texts that followed through the closing chapter of the course.
For a final look on the idea of vigilantism each student was assigned a famous person in history during the time period where slaves were lynched due to racist prejudice. For justice to be done/served it means that “someone has been treated fairly or has been given a punishment they deserve” Some individuals however, have felt as if justice was not served the way that it should have, making them feel as if they have to do it themselves. This sort of behavior however was sound in the case regarding former slave John Taylor. He was accused of attacking a local farmer’s female relatives with an ax in a dispute over wages. This case helped explain that Law is there to act as a guideline in society. Without it causes conflict between social groups and communities as it did with John Taylor. Although this topic had nothing to do with vigilante behavior, it helped formulate an idea that nothing can be justified if it goes behind the regulations stated in the law.
As a whole, throughout the course my thoughts on vigilantism had a major turning point. Going into the course i had little to no knowledge on the topic. Learning a about it in the beginning, i thought of vigilante behavior as a heroic act that is only there to benefit society. As the course went on and i was able to dig deeper in analysis through articles and past events, i was able to piece together the exact opposite. If a law is in the books, and and for one reason or another the officials of government do not enforce that law, then people who are not the officials of government can not enforce that law.
Writing pieces throughout the course
March 11, 2019
March 12, 2019
April 16, 2019 Draft and Final
May 10,2019 Draft
May 13, 2019 Final
May 17,2019
AmelaDzemovski 