“When government is unable or refuses to protect the citizenry from violent criminals, or worse, joins with the violent criminals against the citizenry, vigilantism results.
“Vigilantes are almost always peaceful, trying all normal means of getting government to do its job; but the more adamant a government is that it will *not* do its job, the stronger the vigilante organization becomes.
“Invariably such a government will strongly oppose and try to stop the vigilantes, because any success by the vigilantes strips any remaining legitimacy from that government.
“Eventually the truism that the people *are* the law comes to the fore, and the uniformed police either join with the goals of the vigilantes, refuse to inhibit the vigilantes, or join with the armed criminals against the public.”
Another great post on this thread!