Vigilante Justice

Vigilante justice has been a part of the American culture for centuries. Even in the days of the Puritan colonies, the righteous people “outed” those considered subversive of the culture, so-called witches, warlocks, and harlots; with death being the only sign the accused were in fact innocent. During the expansion into the west, the foreign workers for the railroad were subjected to countless purges and discrimination. The KKK, riding covered in white robes and hoods as symbols of their innocence, terrorized "undesirables" such as African-Americans, Jews, and Catholics, for the better part of a century. During the hysteria leading up to and into World War II, American Citizens of Japanese descent were "relocated" out of unfounded fear, fear that their loyality was to the Japanese Empire and not to the country they loved respected, and had raised their children in. Neo-Nazi groups continue to this day to protest groups they consider to be not pure Americans, not pure whites.
So it is today in Utah. A group hiding under the name, “Concerned Citizens of the United States” is attempting to out a select group they consider to be dangerous and subversive. Names on this list have already been found to be legally entitled to be here, to be naturalized citizens. (Peg McEntee, SL Tribune, July 15)
Unless you claim to be "Native American", you are in fact an immigrant, and for many years there was no control upon who could enter this country; many of our colonies were started by peoples who left their homelands seeking freedom..freedom of religion, of politics, freedom to associate with each other without social status, race, or religion being controlling factors. When we as a people cast a broad blanket of guilt upon an entire group, and entire peoples, we ourselves beome the vigilantes of the current day. As my learned Grandmother used to say, "there is good and bad in all sects in society. Reward the good with your respect, and let the law deal with the bad."
This current state of affairs is NOT the America, home of the free, that I want to leave to my children and grandchildren. If you are truly a concerned citizen, act within the accepted norms of justice and social interaction, hide not your name and action from public view. Respect those who have come here seeking a better life, and leave the justice for the bad to the proper authorities.