"Being vigilant is not a crime. Being a vigilante is. Together we can forge a better America."
—Tagline
The Keene Act & YOU is a public service film released by the United States government on behalf of the House Un-American Activities Committee.
History[]
Following the passage of the Keene Act, which prohibited masked vigilantism, the House Un-American Activities Committee released The Keene Act & YOU to the public. The propaganda piece panders to patriotism, condemning the Minutemen and their successors for being prone to violence, perversion and insanity. The film presents John David Keene as an un-masked hero sympathetic to the masses, claiming that police officers are being undermined by "the costumed menace", and instructs anyone suspecting vigilante behavior in their vicinity to remain inside, lock all doors and windows and notify police.
Trivia[]
- The video reveals that at some point between 1968 and 1977, Abraham Lincoln's face on South Dakota's Mount Rushmore national monument is replaced with that of Richard Nixon.
- The transition of Rorschach's mask into a question mark is a reference to the Question, the inspiration for the original series character of the same name.
Video[]
The Keene Act & YOU (1977)