Anyone who stumbles upon that title out of context will probably say "Oh look, the commies support pedophiles. What a shock." and they're free to think that, as wrong as it is. So let me break it down.
In the last few years, To Catch A Predator has had a huge resurrgence in popularity because pedophiles are awful. The one group in America that everyone can agree are bad, now that we're okay with actual Nazis apparently. When you watch a lot of TCAP, a thought thoughts to burrow it's way into your mind "If I were there, this sicko would get what's coming", so naturally a bunch of amatuers decided to start making their own little predator stings. These usually don't work because YouTubers are more concerned about making content than protecting kids. The police aren't involved, a lot of the videos are actually cases of entrapment that aren't actionable in court, and my personal favorite, many of these YouTubers just beat the shit out the suspected predator for a while. On camera.
First off, I think a lot of those are fake because the liklihood that you can attack already mentally unwell people and not be shot or stabbed is pretty low. But secondly, these videos are a degenerative disease. No one is getting helped, no one's being stopped because these cases are thrown out, and things are beginning to escalate. I mentioned that a lot of catchers are physically attacking their marks. One instance where this happened a man was shot and killed because he pretended to be a teenage girl and then punched a 16 year old in the face, who shot him in self defense. Things are also getting out of hand in other ways. Recently a group of college kids abducted a guy because he wanted to date an 18 year old, which is both not illegal and not grounds to kidnap someone for clout.
The most dangerous thing about these people is the feedback loop they've created on social media. Child Molesters are bad, this is an established fact that everyone agrees on. Police aren't doing enough (this is partially true but it's a poor justification). So if you take issue with the idea of guys getting their asses kicked by vigilantes on camera, or that they "accidentally" get the wrong guy, then you're a pedo sympathiser and someone should go kick your teeth in too. A group of people with no accountability or oversight can just decide your guilt and act on it. Why are we creating a world where someone can call you this or that and then send violent thugs after you?
This isn't just about pedophiles either, what I'm getting at is that the definition of the "acceptable target" will only expand until more and more people are caught in the crossfire. That kidnapping I mentioned? That's just the beginning, because that is the logical conclusion of this behavior.
It's begging to be weaponized against LGBTQ people to push selective cases to push the narrative that they're all like that, just as the Nazis had regular columns on "Jewish crime" to give the impression the Jews were all criminals. Or to be used as a cover. I think in Russia there were stings for gay people done along similar lines, filmed and they'd often accuse them of being child molesters, of being after kids which was the homophobic narrative there.
It's a very sick individual-centered, glory-seeking approach to a problem which is fundamentally that capitalist cops don't invest serious resources in this, are often predators themselves, etc because they don't exist to protect the citizens but to protect capital. The solution then isn't these individualist acts of violence and attempts at mob justice but collective action, not for views, not for clicks, not to portray oneself as some sort of hero but to actually tackle the problem. It's also of course an issue of the family, of the lack of community involvement in each others lives which makes isolating kids easier. But that would require actual work, community-building, effort, it wouldn't be dramatic, it wouldn't stoke the egos of those involved, it wouldn't sell on youtube, so nothing is done.
Most predator catchers, even if some of them may or not be in it for "the right reasons", still do great work, and they always emphasize that they are anti-violence and anti- mob justice, which is why they call the cops or at least inform the police.
It's the minority that act like douchebags.
Edit: For those downvoting, please say what video you were caught in.
Great, but why are we sensationalising this? Those people getting arrested honestly should be seeing a therapist/psychologist/coinciding, not being lured out and being the content of a show for an endless amount of people to watch. This type of behaviour is somewhat barbaric even if we do not like them, plus someone else mentioned it, this media really eases the manufacturing of consent towards harassing or even arresting LGBT+ people and other minorities
Who is sensationalizing this? Is drawing public attention to something sensationalizing it?
Of course someone seeing a therapist and getting mental health treatment is the ultimate goal/option, but there is no real issue with the public being made aware of AN ADULT TRYING TO ASSAULT A MINOR.
Anyone who says "lured" out or "muh entrapment!" or whatever words to that effect almost definitely need their hard drive checked, but that's just my opinion.
If someone offers someone else to murder someone and get paid money for it, and then it turns out to be a sting to catch hitmen when they arrest the douchebag, that doesn't make it entrapment. Same logic here.
People are always going to be shitty or use things as an excuse to attack LGBTQIA people or minorities. That doesn't mean to not pursue justice or to let evil sit and fester and grow like a slimy, toxic mold. I'm Latino and LGBT, and while I dislike easy answers, I do have this: Fight against those who use allegations of pedophilia as an excuse to enforce white supremacy, go after douchebags who try to hurt children, and get them in therapy and/or prison depending on circumstances, it's not fucking hard. It shouldn't be complicated.
99 percent of the time, people whining about alleged mob justice are engaging in neoliberal crackerist concern-trolling mentalities and JAQing off, and look like fucking weirdos for sympathizing with pedophiles.
While I was never molested, I have a very fucking similar experience, which I'd rather not elaborate on.
It goes without saying, that I don't wish death on people over shit they can't control, and altruism and peace and forgiveness is almost always the answer.
But anyone who comes to assault a child? They deserve a firing squad. And anyone who uses mental health as an excuse to assault a minor, doubly so.
I don't give a goddamn shit about any of the chomo-sympathizers here that downvote this. I won't necessarily die on this entire hill, but I am pretty close to it.
It fucking astounds me that people have a problem with this. It's pseudo-intellectualism and neoliberal contrarianism.
Hey friend, I read your whole comment and I just want to make it clear I am pretty sure we are way-way closer to agreeing than disagreeing. I am not aproaching this issue from a liberal pacifist mentality, that would be so increadibly stupid and massively dangerous for our youngest members of society. Put bluntly I am NOT consern-trolling.
That being said, there are lots of youtube channels with millions of young audiences watching people hunt down these people. Yeah pedos are some of the worst members of society who need to be handled by the state I totally agree, however where I draw the line is putting these individuals on camera for entertainment purposes. Forget entrapment, thats not what I mean at all (and I agree with your opinion), I mean the idea of going out and hunting vilified members of society on camera and posting it to impressionable audiences because that manufacturs the consent for such actions to occur to ARBITRARILY vilified members of society eventually. Put bluntly again, it invites broadcasting ganghunting culture, and thats I suppose a-ok for pedos since we all agree we hate pedos but it never ends there, the more facsistic individuals in power will use this as an opportunity to put more people on the chopping blocks. There there exist bounty laws in the states for finding individuals who are to be deported. Its only a matter of time before people who enjoyed watching the pedos getting caught are enjoying foreigners getting caught. Afterall, why else are ICE uploading so many videos? I don't think the audience for hunting pedos and minorities are far away in the US especially as the place has become more fascistic!
I would much much rather let the government deal with the luring and arresting of these fucking individuals behind cameras.
I am really sorry something happened to you or a family member, really I am and I think people who abuse our little ones should be dealt with resolutely by the state, but I just do not think this should be put on camera for teenagers to watch on YouTube.
(Also please let me know what JAQing off is because I do not know what that means)
JAQing off means "just asking questions". Just asking questions of course isn't inherently bad, but it's the rhetorical device that alot of people use, to seemingly find a "gotcha" rather than discussion.
I am slightly touched by your comment more than I expected.
I'm still shocked that lots of comrades here want this stuff to be "handled by the police" especially given how evil and corrupt capitalist police are, and how even police who publicly condemn predator catchers, still praise them in private or take the evidence to court to arrest the chomo.
I hate this idea that just because people liking ICE videos would also like predator hunting videos, somehow means that hunting preds shouldn't be celebrated or publicized. But I understand the cause for concern and the how the links between these things can ferment fascism.
But after taking a moment your comment and your concerns, I think you have very valid points.
I won't die on this hill, I still wager that most people who enjoy watching predator catching videos aren't as racist as Rosen's bootlickers or wouldn't support hunting down migrants.
I want to thank you for enlightening me somewhat, even if it tastes bitter.