The Right Kind of Vigilantism

According to FoxNews, Mexico attempted to stop the use of vigilante forces that had been trying to halt the influence of the Knights Templar Cartel that plagued numerous Mexican cities. These vigilante forces called themselves "self-defense forces" and they banded together due to an immense outrage against the Knights Templar that appeared suddenly in the country and proceeded to commit extortion and murders. Along with such actions, the cartel also trafficked various drugs. While the government of Mexico allowed the vigilantes to act freely, due to the fact that they were aiding the police, in recent years, the Mexican government wishes to recruit the members of the self-defense forces into a new "rural police force." Those that do not to join the rural police force could always just return to their ordinary lives, yet they would be the reserve forces for the rural police force to be called upon if needed. Along with joining an "organized" force, all civilians would be required to register their firearms, but many of the old members of the self-defense forces do not wish to do such actions. Even those who agree with joining refuse to register their firearms. One of the members of a self-defense force, Rene Sánchez, went so far as to state, "This (demobilization) agreement is just something to appease the government. With them, or without them, we are going to keep at it." However, the government's attempts to disband the vigilantes I personally find to be unfounded. There are still numerous cartel members at large and the vigilantes were doing well to push the Knights Templar out of multiple cities and towns. Around March 31, 2014, one of the high ranking members of the cartel had been killed by Mexican marines, yet there still remain countless others to take his place, such as Servando Gomez "La Tuta," "The Uncle," and others. I personally believe that the self-defense forces should have been left alone, as they were making progress in destroying the Knights Templar Cartel. Also, the vigilantes were not corrupt and they were not using the locations taken back to their advantage, instead, they were giving the poor a place to live and supplying jobs back to their rightful owners. Of course though, the Mexican government is known for their corruption, so anyone who is not corrupt, such as the self-defense forces, must be brought into the corruption (I mean this in the government's thought process, not my own). I believe that the vigilantes must continue to fight for their land and fight for their rights against both the Knights Templar and the government (if necessary). If you wish to know more about this topic, Vice News produced a great video on the subject, however, viewer discretion is highly advised, as the content is extremely graphic and contains violent scenes.

One of the numerous symbols of the Knight's Templar Cartel.