Creep catchers busting perverted pigs > Reckless hometown vigilantes Cazzy Lewchuk Opinions Editor Ar known as the Surrey Creep Catchers has been busting online predators in the act. Posing as teenagers who are under the age of consent, the group seeks out people online and arranges a meetup. They then bust them Dateline NBC style and call the police. This group is doing an important job by exposing the sexual predators of society who attempt to meet up with 13-year-olds on the internet. Those who lure the innocent and attempt or commit statutory rape absolutely deserve to be exposed. Perhaps most alarming was the bust of an active RCMP officer, who is now facing charges. Far too often, people get away with this kind of behaviour on every level—never facing charges, never going to trial, and being let off with light sentences. More than we know, it involves those in positions of power, who even use their status for personal gain, and to cover up their heinous activities. The Creep Catcher motto is that the Image via Surrey McCatch/Facebook justice system often fails, and there’s no doubt they’re doing what many might call God’s work. Nevertheless, vigilantism is never okay, and should never be praised. The Creep Catchers have been attacked and punched during their encounters, and any one of the people they lure could file a massive lawsuit. They are not police, and they do not have the powers or abilities of police, who are trained to deal with the people they seek. Not to mention the borderline illegal activity of it all—there’s a reason why vigilantism is against the law. It’s hard to condemn someone who seeks to expose powerful people for secretly being pedophiles, but it’s an unfortunate necessity. There are too many risks involved—including the innocents who can easily get caught up. When something of this calibre goes online, it spins out of control. A single misidentified name gets posted as being the one in the video, and that person is now being falsely slandered as a sexual predator. Authority figures in society are only human—and just like everyone else, you get a lot of bad How many of Trump's supporters really are ‘deplorable’? > Uncovering a racist campaign Cazzy Lewchuk Opinions Editor believe that it is very easy to divide 50 per cent of the population against each other, and that people deserve the benefit of the doubt. I believe that we should not judge each other by our political views, and should seek to find common ground whenever possible. Broad, blanket statements about large groups of people are almost always inaccurate, and usually come from a place of ignorance and generalization. I believe that Donald Trump is the worst candidate for president, ever. At best, he is incompetent and laughable, but he’s often much worse, encouraging and inciting racism, violence, xenophobia, and war-mongering. His vague, often flip-flopping policies demonstrate that he really doesn’t have a clue on what being president involves. His lack of experience and general bonehead views disqualify him from being anywhere near nuclear weapon launch codes. Nevertheless, millions of Americans support him, and will vote for him in the November election, unless he ends up going to jail for shooting a child, which would not be surprising. After all, he did actually say: “I could shoot somebody and I wouldn't lose any supporters.” In addition, Trump’s lawsuit for raping a 13-year- old girl begins preliminary hearings next month. How such a moron has so many supporters is mind- boggling to so many in the US and around the world. His surface popularity can be understood—he’s a big celebrity, and a political outsider. When his campaign began, many viewed him as a novelty candidate. As his true colours shined and he became the official party nominee, many were divided over his outrageous racist views and incompetency, but just as many flocked to someone who “says what’s on his mind.” Ironically and hilariously, much of Trump’s popularity comes from his more progressive views. Unlike most Republicans, he’s expressed acceptance for the LGBTQ+ community, abortion, and raising the minimum wage. He also opposes big money in politics and the TPP—just like his polar opposite, Bernie Sanders. Trump has also repeatedly lied, contradicted Image via www.hercampus.com himself, and flip-flopped on virtually every position he’s had. He'll say anything to gain votes and support. Hillary Clinton recently came under controversy for referring to half of Trump’s supporters as “deplorable.” She rightfully called out his campaign for operating on and normalizing racism and bigotry. White supremacists are vocal supporters of Trump, and he’s been incredibly reluctant to disavow these people. She later regretted the comments after people. There’s little doubt that they’re held to higher standards, and perhaps overtly respected without justification. The RCMP has rigorous moral standards— but one of them still attempted to lure an underage teen for sex. It’s not the first time it’s happened, and it probably won't be the last. In many areas, law enforcement officials are even more corrupt— police officers in the US and Canada murder unarmed black teenagers all the time, often without any repercussions whatsoever. It’s a difficult topic, but it’s not one that’s solvable by internet vigilantes, either. It won't be long until someone is seriously harmed, ruined, or worse from the Creep Catchers business. I applaud what they're doing—but it’s still not an activity we should condone. heavy criticism, and rightfully admitted many of his supporters are normal Americans fed up with the system, but continued to argue that many of his supporters are unsavoury. There’s a difference between being a vocal, die-hard Trump fan and someone who begrudgingly votes for him in November. One can support a candidate or political party for general viewpoints, while not caring or agreeing with some of their personal views or characteristics. Democrats do it, Republicans do it—it’s what the majority of voters do in most elections. This is exactly what’s going on for so many in the Republican party. Many have disavowed Trump, but ultimately many will vote for him simply because he’s the Republican candidate. Maybe you don’t like Hillary, you don’t like the Democratic platform, or you really support Republican values. It’s a two-party system—if you can't beat them, join them. Not all of the 40 million or more Americans who will vote Trump are deplorable. But an alarming amount of his die-hard supporters really are awful people who support racism, bigotry, and values that just aren’t okay in a free society. Anti-immigration and anti-refugee sentiments are racist traits, and are far more common than we realize. Still, it’s a safe bet that a good portion of those 40 million really are deplorable—or at least, not people you'd invite over for tea.