When we think about vigilantism, the first image that comes to mind might be that of Bruce Wayne, otherwise known as Batman, and his tireless heroism in the fictional Gotham City.
What might not cross our minds in the age-old Heinz dilemma: A man's wife is dying, and the only drug that could treat her is overpriced and unattainable with regard to the man's finances. Does he steal the drug from the druggist charging too high a price? Or does he allow his wife to slip away in light of his inability to rightfully purchase the drug?
The Steubenville rape case didn't happen so long ago, and, now that the verdicts on the two teenage football players accused of the sexual assault have been in for a while, attention has shifted to a member of Anonymous who helped expose the incident.
Deric Lostutter, who went by the moniker "KYAnonymous" during the case, was accused of hacking-related crimes after he was associated with large social media leaks that provided evidence of the rape. Lostutter's home in Kentucky was also raided by the FBI in April, according to a June 6 Mother Jones article in which he said, "The goal of the media interviews is to get the entire nation to say 'f-ck you' to these guys (FBI agents)." But is that really the goal of this new debacle? While Anonymous seemed to be serving the greater good by leaking proof of the sexual assault, communicating to the government that you have disdain for it is a petty ploy.
Called a "hacktavist" group, Anonymous is rather disorganized (which is clear in the lack of restraint its members show in staying true to the course of their intentions rather than diverging into some government-hating, self-serving agenda), and it has been stigmatized as nothing more than a group of very skilled pranksters.
While the part of society that reacted in outrage to the Steubenville case will call Lostutter a hero, the shift of attention from rape victims to Anonymous's middle finger pointed at all law enforcement is downright shameful. Ensuring rapes are reported more often, preventing rapes and bringing rapists to justice are all crucial — this has been proven by Anonymous's Steubenville leaks. But using a rape case to further some anarchy-based goal is foolish.
Multiple news websites have reported that Lostutter could be sentenced to 10 years for his offenses — more time than the two teenagers who performed the sexual assault, for which they will serve two years in a juvenile detention facility.
And, while Anonymous can occasionally come off as childish, it's absurd to think that actions that helped resolve a very disturbing case could be punished with a heavier fist than the actions of two high schoolers who violated one of their peers while she was defenseless.
Although the leaks are classifiable as hacking crimes, it doesn't stray too far from any ethics curriculum to say that the leaks, though illegal, were an attempt to condemn those who force themselves on others.
Vigilantes are few and far between in today's world. But, at the end of the day, most of us would have chosen the option in which the man steals the expensive medicine to preserve his wife's health rather than let the petty greed of the druggist define what is and is not ethical — even if the man were arrested.
