Power & Responsibility

[Jason Rune <winter_herald@xxxxxxxxx>]

De-lurking for just a moment, here.

In trying to decide whether what Willow did to Warren
was justice or murder, I've seen references to both
legality and morality. But there's a problem with the
legal approach. The police in Sunnydale wouldn't
stand a *chance* against demons or vampires... or
Warren, with all the toys he was sending against
Willow.

I'm not sure whether or not there really is some sort
of magical aura around the Hellmouth that keeps people
from realizing that evil lives among them. But either
way, Buffy & Co. have *chosen* not to make anybody
else aware of the menace... and in doing so, they have
taken responsibility for the underground goings-on. 
And I think that includes not just demons, but also
magic. I think that turning Warren over to the police
would have been a stupid idea. Jonathan and Andrew
were *wimps*. Warren was not. If he had been taken
in for "justice," more people would have been killed.

As for the morality of the specific act... that one's
tougher. And Willow certainly doesn't get brownie
points for the *way* she did it (vengeance, verging on
torture.) But letting him go or turning him in
wouldn't have been viable alternatives.

Personally, I think that the whole thing is screwed
up, and that if the Hellmouth is *really* so bad,
there ought to be more magical protection around it. 
Like that coven Giles got his power from, for
instance. They're obviously quite powerful
(teleported Giles accross the ocean, made Willow See
Everything, etc.) Heck, they probably could have
contained Warren easily, if they're so powerful they
could detain Willow for even a while... so what are
they doing hanging around some British backwater? 
Seems like what we really need is a somewhat more
enlightened, magic-friendly version of the Initiative
:)

But back before we knew the coven existed, it would
have been up to Buffy to do something about Warren. 
And I don't mean giving him one of her trademark
Righteous Soapbox Speeches....

Jason Rune

(Faith may have been evil, but she wasn't wrong about
Buffy having a holier-than-thou stick up her behind.)

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