On Citizen Bounty Hunters, Stand Your Ground, Militias, And More

In George Orwell’s famous novel Nineteen Eighty Four, there’s a character named Parsons who ends up in the Ministry of Love — the place where people are sent after being arrested — after being accused of thoughtcrime. Specifically, he was found repeating the phrase “down with Big Brother” in his sleep:

“Down with Big Brother!” Yes, I said that! Said it over and over again, it seems. Between you and me, old man, I’m glad they got me before it went any further. Do you know what I’m going to say to them when I go up before the tribunal? “Thank you,” I’m going to say, “thank you for saving me before it was too late.

Parsons was not found out by Big Brother — as Winston had been at the end of Part 2 — instead, his own daughter overheard him and reported him the next day, and Parsons is proud of her for doing so:

“It was my little daughter,” said Parsons with a sort of doleful pride. “She listened at the keyhole. Heard what I was saying, and nipped off to the patrols the very next day. Pretty smart for a nipper of seven, eh? I don’t bear her any grudge for it. In fact I’m proud of her. It shows I brought her up in the right spirit, anyway.”

I mention this because, while much has been written about the recently passed anti-abortion law in Texas, including the fact…