By Billy Hersey, ’27

Editor in Chief

Vigilante justice, or taking the law into one’s own hands, has been happening in the United States since before its founding. When imagining what vigilante justice looks like, people may picture a headstrong hero that roots out corruption, but the only difference between a terrorist and vigilante is public opinion. For example, to a Patriot, the winning of the American Revolution was a triumph and celebration of freedom. However, to a Loyalist, the war was a disaster that caused the loss of their lands and their displacement to Canada.

Vigilante justice can cause harm to innocents. This was notably done by the Sons of Liberty in years before the Revolution when tax collectors were frequently tarred and feathered as an act of defiance against the British Crown. To be tarred and feathered was painful, humiliating, and often left people scarred or burned. Whether the actions of the Sons of Liberty were justified is left to the individual to decide, but at least in my opinion, innocent people should never be hurt for political gain.

Of course, rooting out corruption in society sounds great, but before acting, people need to consider all perspectives on the issue and the veracity of the information they read or hear on the subject. A lot of times, people who commit these acts are manipulated and turned radical by the podcasts, videos or social media from which they form their political opinions. In some cases, these people are also mentally unstable, which, when paired with propaganda, can heavily influence people toward making bad decisions. Though there certainly is corruption in the government, people need to trust in the courts and our justice system. All people are entitled to a fair trial in front of a jury; whether the defendant is guilty or not, to deny that right is a crime in itself. When vigilantes strike, they are acting as judge, jury, and executioner.

The most recent example of vigilante justice was the murder of Turning Point USA leader Charlie Kirk, who was shot to death during an appearance on a college campus in September. Kirk was a determined and strong debater who was credited with gathering support for conservatism among younger voters. Kirk swayed public opinion against abortion, gun control and countless other issues. Kirk’s opponents may point out that the legislation and ideas he preached appealed mostly to white men, causing more harm than good, especially to the detriment of women and minority groups. This leaves Kirk’s legacy uncertain; however, he was a vocal advocate of peaceful free speech and political debate who deserves respect for his courage to create change. Many people in both political parties said kind words on social media and emphasized the immorality of political violence, but others celebrated the actions of the clearly troubled shooter, who was arrested days later. Reactions to Kirk’s death were more evidence of the growing political divide in this country. Even if you don’t agree with what Kirk stood for, you should at least recognize he was human and didn’t deserve the death chosen for him.

The December 2024 murder of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson also begs the question of vigilante or murderer. Of course, most people would agree that murder is wrong, yet upon hearing of Thompson’s death, many celebrated. United Healthcare is notorious for having one of the highest percentages of claim denials among all health insurers. By denying claims for expensive but possibly life-saving care, critics argue, this corporate giant is indirectly responsible for the deaths of thousands. Though Thompson isn’t completely to blame for the company’s policy that seems to put profits over human lives, he could have tried to make change. As a CEO he certainly had some power to enact at least small reforms, but any change that would have hurt the company’s bottom line would have likely been vetoed by the company’s board. Still, that doesn’t excuse the actions of alleged shooter, who is awaiting trial. Killing one man doesn’t bring back all the people killed by claim denial. Premeditated murder and crimes in the heat of anger don’t bring justice. If people truly want to make lasting change they should confront corporate giants in the courts. If the alleged shooter had done this, Brian Thompson’s children would still have a father.

The attack on the US Capitol on January 6, 2021 could be considered another example of people trying to take the law into their own hands. Armed, right-wing protestors gathered in front of the building after a rally by Donald Trump, the outgoing president at the time, who had been pushing the narrative that the 2020 election had been “stolen” and Joe Biden was not the rightful winner. Against overwhelming evidence and ballot recounts in multiple states, Trump and his supporters insisted the election had been stolen and their country was in danger. With Trump’s call to action in their ears, the protestors marched to the Capitol, where tensions quickly escalated and the rally turned to a riot. Police forces stationed at the Capitol to maintain peace were easily overwhelmed, and rioters entered, intent on harming members of Congress and disrupting the certification of Biden’s election. This event is largely regarded as a stain on American history, and the multitudes of people injured as well as the 10 people whose deaths were related to the attack are proof of the dangers of propaganda. Some, including President Trump and some Republican officials, still believe that there was election fraud and praise these domestic terrorists as heroes and true Americans.

Wherever you stand ideologically, vigilante justice must stop. Although the battle to change government policy can be long and riddled with opposition, we have systems in place to create change. People can petition their representatives or senators and they can peacefully protest. This type of violence only strengthens the determination of the opposition. Assassination attempts on President Trump and Charlie Kirk have only widened the ideological divide and furthered political polarization. One House representative, Marjorie Taylor Greene, has even expressed desire for a “national divorce” along party lines! Unfortunately, hatred between liberals and conservatives is strong, but one issue that should have bipartisan support is ending political violence. Silencing people over ideological disagreements is primitive and contradicts the values upon which this country was founded.

Works cited

BBC. “Capitol Riots Timeline: What Happened on 6 January 2021?” BBC News, 2 Aug. 2023, http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-56004916.

“Charlie Kirk’s Legacy Deserves No Mourning.” The Nation, 12 Sept. 2025, http://www.thenation.com/article/politics/charlie-kirk-assassination-maga/.

Dorning, Courtney, et al. “There’s Anger behind the Internet’s Reactions to the Death of UnitedHealthcare CEO.” NPR, 10 Dec. 2024, http://www.npr.org/2024/12/10/nx-s1-5223471/theres-anger-behind-the-internets-reactions-to-the-death-of-unitedhealthcare-ceo.

Huo Jingnan. “People Are Losing Jobs due to Social Media Posts about Charlie Kirk.” NPR, 13 Sept. 2025, http://www.npr.org/2025/09/13/nx-s1-5538476/charlie-kirk-jobs-target-social-media-critics-resign.

Klee, Miles. “UnitedHealth Is Sick of Everyone Complaining about Its Claim Denials.” Rolling Stone, 9 Feb. 2025, http://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/unitedhealth-defends-image-claim-denials-mangione-thompson-1235259054/.

Maag, Christopher, et al. “UnitedHealthcare CEO Shooting: What We Know about Brian Thompson’s Killing.” The New York Times, 4 Dec. 2024, http://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/06/nyregion/unitedhealthcare-brian-thompson-shooting.html.

Maloy, Mark. “Tarring and Feathering.” American Battlefield Trust, 16 Mar. 2023, http://www.battlefields.org/learn/articles/tarring-and-feathering.

Rattray, Kate. “Clio.” Clio, 8 Dec. 2024, http://www.clio.com/blog/procedural-justice/.

“Who Was Charlie Kirk? What We Know about the Shooting and the Suspect.” Al Jazeera, 11 Sept. 2025, http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/9/11/who-was-charlie-kirk-what-we-know-about-the-shooting-and-the-suspect.