Batman's Vendetta

Vigilantes have been part of the world since semi-permanent societies were established. Although it is speculated that vigilantes were serving justice before the middle ages, the documented history goes back to the 7th century. Officially, vigilante justice began with the idea of frankpledges and knights, and continued from there. Vigilantes have also been part of American society since its founding. The founding citizens participated in vigilante acts, such as lynching tax collectors and the Boston Tea Party. Vigilantes are still common today, usually in bigger cities where justice fails more victims. Vigilantes are also present in fictional stories, such as the story of Batman from The Dark Knight movie series. The character of Batman is known for helping solve the problems of Gotham, occasionally with the help of the police. However, almost all of Batman’s actions would be considered vigilante actions, since he is serving justice using his own system of right and wrong. He also does not go through the appropriate legal pathways. Regardless of the presence vigilantes have in society, there are people who argue that they should be stopped at all costs. Most of the arguments center around the fact that they are criminals, abide by a skewed sense of morality, and that they cause more harm than good to society. Without vigilantes, however, victims of smaller crimes would likely have to live with the fact that the perpetrator never had to face justice. Vigilantes are needed because of the inefficiency of both the court system and the police department, and because of corruption in the police force and politics.

One reason that vigilantes are needed is because the court system is inherently inefficient. The courts are limited in th...

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