Once upon a time, there was a small tight knit community of neighbors, a "village", if you like. This village was too small to have an independent police force, so it chose instead to police itself; neighbors helping neighbors...holding one another to account for their actions when disputes arose. It was an imperfect system, but it was all the little village had with which to work.

As in all villages, there were some noisome neighbors. Some simply played their music too loud at night, and some were much, much worse.

Within one house lived an intemperate man, prone to outbursts of threats and violence. He was well known in the village as a "bad man". Worse yet, it was well known that this "bad man" terrorized his own family within his home. Accountings of rape, torture, and even murder of his own family members were well known and documented. Worst of all, and what made his neighbors of the village continually uneasy, was that this brute was known to possess a personal cache of hand grenades, assault rifles, and rocket launchers.

When the "bad man" broke into his brother-in-law's house to steal his possessions twelve years ago, the village community was outraged, formed a posse, and kicked the "bad man" out of his brother-in-law's house after he refused to leave. When events turned, and things looked to the "bad man" that he might be evicted from his own house, he agreed to behave, and even allowed community members to inspect his home, to show that he had disposed of his dangerous weapons. The "bad man" chuckled to himself, knowing that his trusting neighbors would never find his best hiding places for his most intimidating weapons. Just the same, the "bad man" agreed to have a fence erected around his house and yard, to assure his neighbors that he wouldn't easily break into or threaten another home any time soon.

An so it was for the next twelve years that the "bad man" was locked-up in his home. The village noted over time that some of his other neighboring relatives would come and go, bringing the "bad man" things he needed to remain a bully, if only in his own home. There were rumors that other shady characters, from outside the village, were also coming and going from this "bad man's" house. The members of the village would periodically scold the "bad man" for his blatant disregard of the promise he had made, which only garnered derision and scorn in return from the "bad man". The village was ashamed of it's own timidity, for it knew this "bad man" had never stopped raping and beating his own family in the confines of his own home, but the community of neighbors rationalized their cowardice and fear with the thought that at least this "bad man" wasn't doing it to them.

One neighbor suggested finally, after 12 years, that enough was enough. He proposed to the village community that the "bad man" would, this time, have to turn over all of his grenades, rifles, and rocket launchers immediately...or face another village posse. The village community agreed unanimously to this proposal...and gave the "bad man" the ultimatum. The "bad man" wavered at this seeming community unanimity, and appeared to concede. After all, his neighbors couldn't find his secret weapons caches the last time, and he had made many more since. And the "bad man" also knew that eventually his neighbors would tire of the ordeal, out of frustration, or timidity...and things would once again return to a status quo. The "bad man" rationalized, "They keep trying to tell me what to do, and I keep doing as I please, and they don't do anything about it anyway, because they're weak."

The "bad man" miscalculated though. The neighbor that led the posse 12 years ago wasn't letting up this time around. In fact, it was reminding it's fellow community members of the commitment they had all agreed to, and the consequences of that commitment. Now the members of the village were very uneasy. They wanted to trust the "bad man", and believe him; and besides, what could the "bad man" do if he was locked up in his own house; while his neighbors searched yet again for weapons that were secreted away? Maybe he'd continue to beat his children, rape his daughters, murder his uncles...sure, those things might continue, but he wouldn't be able to hurt any other families, would he? And what about those mysterious midnight visitors to the "bad man's" house? Nobody had proven that the "bad man" might give these outsiders any of his weapons to vandalize or terrorize the neighborhood on their own terms. Where was the proof of such allegations? Surely even the "bad man" wouldn't do such a thing.

But once again, the leader of the last village posse insisted that the "bad man" comply with the stated will of the village. Some of the "bad man's" neighbors, who were indirectly related to the "bad man", objected. Sure, their relative was a no-good so-and-so, and a liar, and a bad family man...but they wouldn't evict him from his own house. Others petitioned for more time, to allow the "bad man" to comply with the will of the community, because, well, he'd never done so before...but, maybe this time he would...eventually. Besides, what kind of a threat did this "bad man" really pose to them?

Most of the villagers did not like being reminded of their commitments. They chose to shift the focus of their attention upon the posse leader instead, claiming it was he who was the bully...the "new bad man". The posse leader and his closest friends relented, allowing for more time. The "bad man" couldn't believe his good fortune. Here he was, safely in his home, abusing his family as he pleased, gloating over his secret weapons cache, and laughing at the village idiots that now perceived him as the lesser threat to the community than the posse leader himself. The "bad man" laughed and laughed at his good fortune.

But wait. This time, this time, the posse leader was serious. Deadly serious. This time the posse leader and his closest friends were going to evict the "bad man"; free his family; and take away his dangerous weapons whether or not the majority of the village went along. The village community was outraged at this vigilantism. But now the "bad man" was truly afraid. The posse leader hated doing this sort of thing (he had been called upon to do it many times before; to evict other "bad man"...and many people always got hurt, or worse, in the process). Some neighbors refused to go. Others refused to support any eviction efforts, and others still vowed to brand the posse leaders and his friends as dangerous and irresponsible, just like the "bad man" himself. What would become of the village? Who would clean up the house and yard afterwards? Would a nice man move in to the house and help the "bad man's" family back on their feet? Would the "bad man's" neighboring relatives and their associated shady outsiders try to exact revenge upon the small posse and it's family members?

The tale has no happy ending, because in the end, good people will be hurt. This story also has no sure answers, because no one can precisely predict future events. But if we learn anything from this story, it's that bad men and bad neighbors will always threaten the village as a whole, and it's people within, if good men and good neighbors just stand by and watch, and debate, and do nothing. We may also learn that neighbors may be deemed as good or bad not by what they say; or what they promise; or what they look like. Just men know that good men and bad men are determined by what they do...and sometimes by what they won't do.

And some day, the village will either decide to live up to it's self-policing commitments, or it will need to hire some full-time sheriff to police the bad men of the village.

--s2a