The Fixer by T.E. Woods definitely had me entranced so I’m thrilled to welcome Ms. Woods to The Novel Life sharing her thoughts on vigilantes and justice. Hope you enjoy as much as I did!
Photo Credit: C&N Commercial Photography
I get questioned about the moral implications of making a vigilante the central, hopefully likeable, hero of my books. Now, I do not advocate anyone disrespecting the rule of law. I’m a middle-aged mom who appreciates an ordered society. Still, it’s difficult to ignore our love of characters doing bad in the name of good. Whether real-life or fiction, we love our well-intentioned outlaws. This is not a new phenomenon. The tales of Robin Hood goes back centuries. He was a crook who help up coaches travelling the roads of medieval England. But legend has it he gave the money to poor folks so we give him a pass. Hell, Guy Fawkes blew up buildings. The myth he did it to call attention to the plight of the oppressed makes it okay to put his face on t-shirts. Dexter’s a psychopath who kills at will. But since he targets serial killers we cuddle right up, overlook his love of sharp objects, and root for him to remain undetected.
Real-life vigilantes run the gamut. Anchoring the saintly side is someone like Rosa Parks, bless her I-Can’t-Take-This-Anymore soul. She willfully broke the law when she refused to move to the back of the bus and we love her for it. Weighing in on the evil side are those night riders of the KKK who had no problem grabbing anyone fitting their bad-guy criteria and stringing him up from the nearest tree. But what about those vigilantes in the middle? Can Curtis Silwa and his red-capped Guardian Angels restrain someone they alone determine is violating a neighborhood’s peace and security? What urban commuter didn’t sympathize with Bernard Goetz when he pulled his weapon on teenagers looking to mug him on a New York subway? And if you really want to get an argument started, bring up George Zimmerman’s name in a group of folks you don’t know. Then sit back and enjoy the fireworks. We like our vigilantes when their justifications coincide with our particular notions of right and wrong and revile them when they don’t.
Does that make us all potential vigilantes?
The entertainment industry knows the value of an unfettered justice fighter. I’m not talking about super-heroes here. What’s the big deal about facing evil-doers if you can fly or bend steel with your bare hands? Give us a flawed human taking on society’s corruption armed with nothing but their own sense of injustice and you’ve hit a blockbusting nerve. Zorro? Batman? Take away the costumes and gadgets and they’re mere mortals acting in a way we might wish we would, even if it means taking the law into their own hands.
We really love our vigilantes with a badge…so long as they’re fictional. Cops stepping aside from the very system they’re sworn to serve in order to answer a higher calling of fairness is box-office gold. Who didn’t smile when Dirty Harry pointed that Magnum and asked the punk if he felt lucky? Who doesn’t believe Raylan Givens is justified every time he shoots first and looks sheepishly at his commanding officer later?
Justice is a drive all humans crave. In a world that cruelly teaches us life isn’t fair, we’ll keep creating stories that allow us to pretend it can be.
To learn more about T.E. Woods and her books visit her on Facebook | Twitter | Website
From my work with abused children and their families I can completely understand the want for vigilante justice and how at times it seems like such a better option than going through the justice system. Yes, I’ve certainly thought about it like in the case of Anna but my faith in the system is much stronger AND I was a little outgunned and outmatched 
What are your thoughts on vigilante justice?
Should we become a society that encourages this type of “get even” or
shun those who take the law into their own hands?
