Tuesday, October 10, 2006 Editorials: Another tack against vigilantism
Vigilante-style killings are back with a vengeance and with it the debate on the use of this illegal but popular mode of fighting the rise of crime incidents in Cebu City.
The shootings over the weekend left four people dead while a 12-year-old boy was hit by a stray bullet, another proof of the danger posed by attacks even if those killed are defenseless and therefore easy targets.
But this point usually ends up being glossed over by defenders of vigilantism and people who have become like spectators of the gladiatorial combat of old shouting, “Kill! Kill!,” so the winning combatant would finish off a wounded opponent.
Prevailing sentiment
This should not be taken, though, as an indictment of those favoring vigilantism but a recognition of the prevailing sentiment on the issue.
And while the sentiment is not necessarily correct, it must be recognized so one will be able to partly understand why, despite the condemnation of vigilante-style killings by some sectors, vigilantes don’t seem to be deterred one bit.
With the understanding, civil rights groups, lawyers, the Cebu archdiocese and other concerned sectors will have to consider the aspect of raising people’s awareness of the principles that prop up the effort to uphold.
Enlightenment drive
Indeed, condemning those behind vigilante-style killings is necessary, but holding dialogs and conducting information drives to thresh out the complex issues involving vigilantism is equally important.
Directly tangling with radio commentators or threatening to file a complaint against them for supporting vigilantism, for example, may be counter-productive and may only polarize the setup and spark hatred.
Media is itself a community whose views mirror that of society at large, thus they should be targets instead of what may be called an enlightenment campaign for them to better comprehend human rights principles.
Open-minded
In this, the Catholic Church can play a bigger role than just issuing statements; it can prod religious organizations to discuss Christ’s teachings, especially on the value of human life.
The goal is to weaken the support of vigilantism by the open-minded majority and thus undermine the public support that the vigilantes and their mastermind are relying on.
