[lit-ideas] Re: [covers her ears]

  • From: Robert.Paul@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (Robert Paul)
  • To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
  • Date: 10 Jun 2004 11:59:51 PDT

>I thought it could be either vigilanteism or vigilantism?<

        I've never seen 'vigilanteism' (until now). It's a US word, though, and
Torontarians (Torontonians?) don't get to vote.

Here's the usually unreliable OED:

Hence vigi'lantism (orig. U.S.), the principles or activities of vigilantes 
or vigilance committees. 

1937 Sun (Baltimore) 27 Sept. 2/7 A public investigation of `vigilantism' in 
strike areas was announced today through the American League Against War and 
Fascism. 

1942 W. STEGNER Mormon Country 96 Perhaps even those incidents were 
purely unofficial and spontaneous acts of devout Mormons, the Mormon 
equivalent of lynch law and vigilantism. 

1953 Economist 19 Sept. 775/3 In the United States, neither private vigilantism
nor the government seems prepared 
to treat a favourable verdict as final. 

1979 Times 6 Dec. 3/1 Africa was confronted, he said, with a choice between a
system of collective security and 
a system of international vigilantism. 

1985 Listener 10 Jan. 9/1 The one genuine, spontaneous popular institution in
the West was vigilantism. 

Robert Paul
Ever watchful


 
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