The biggest problem with vigilante justice is that it is not just and the biggest problem with our justice system is that it is vigilante. In other words, those in charge of justice rarely administer it, but are rarely brought to justice for the injustice of it all. When Chesterton expresses his discouragement at the thought of so few politicians being hanged, he is not wishing for more lynch mobs. He is, however, daydreaming about a world where capital offenses are met with capital punishment. In other words, the capitol of the people should not be exempt from accountability to the people.
Those who occupy offices of public trust owe something to those who trusted them with their vote. Running for office should not insulate someone from sanctions, rather it should increase the number of sanctions that could, in theory, be applied. When compared to the average Joe, the elected official should be subject to more regulation, not less. And more to the point, the elected official should not impose more regulation on Joe, who's just trying to mind his own business. In short, the elected officials should be the ones needing the permits, not the hoi polloi.
It should be a precarious business running for public office. It should involve taking your life into your own hands. Instead, it is a precarious business just being an average citizen. Regulations haunt the regular man. Elected officials enjoy constant diplomatic immunity while regular people experience increasing bureaucratic scrutiny.
This should not sit well with the plebes.
No comments:
Post a Comment