Vigilantism and the Social Contract in Default
Joe Horn has been No-Billed by the Grand Jury after two weeks of testimony. This is a triumph of good over evil. However we need to look past the actual incident itself and ask ourselves: Why this man, who had never harmed a soul before that day, felt he must act to protect the property of a neighbor he barely knew. Fundamentally, we are faced with the utter destruction of the Social Contract between the Citizen, and the Government.
The Citizen contracts with the Government to provide safety and security. In doing so, the Citizen is entrusting the power of arrest into the hands of government. But of late, government has been abrogating it's responsibilities. Time and again, the courts have ruled that the government has no duty to protect you. If the government is not willing to uphold it's end of the bargain, then the social contract is in default and we the citizen must protect ourselves.
The Citizen contracts with the Government to provide safety and security. In doing so, the Citizen is entrusting the power of arrest into the hands of government. But of late, government has been abrogating it's responsibilities. Time and again, the courts have ruled that the government has no duty to protect you. If the government is not willing to uphold it's end of the bargain, then the social contract is in default and we the citizen must protect ourselves.
posted by Rorschach at
6/30/2008 01:45:00 PM
5 Comments:
I seem to remember reading or hearing that Joe Horn's neighbor had asked Joe to watch his home while the neighbor was out of town on business. If that happened, then it seems reasonable to me that Joe felt more responsible for protecting his neighbor's home.
Ror,
The people who say Joe Horn should have not done anything are 20 years behind the times. I think you are right on target; people are frustrated that government is not protecting them. Illegals overrunning the border, rampant crime, criminals released back onto the streets - this incident had all of the above.
Others say Joe Horn is a hero. I'm not sure I would go that far as he chose to step in a situation that didn't involve any person in danger. He did react in a way that I am finding myself more sympathetic to than I would have 20 years ago.
Don
"If the government is not willing to uphold it's end of the bargain, then the social contract is in default and we the citizen must protect ourselves."
And thusly do people who might have previously considered themselves conservatives become self-described libertarians.
Libertarians and conservatives share a number of values, one of which is self-reliance.
I'm absolutely with you on this one, Rorschach!
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