Vigilantism is a dark tradition of law enforcement woven into American culture
By Jonathan Obert, Assistant Professor of Political Science, Amherst College It is a contentious time in the United States, with a pandemic, racial equality, police violence, and a presidential election all occupying the public’s attention. Given all that stress, it can seem like people are taking the law into their own hands more often. It is not just in Kenosha, Wisconsin. In recent weeks, there have been confrontations over removing monuments to the Confederacy, clashes over the use of face masks, attempts to protect – or intimidate – Black Lives Matter protesters and even a renewed interest in “citizen’s...
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