It’s been a couple weeks and the wounds are healing. The loss was very disappointing, the riot was devastating but the city is back to normal. So, what to do with the “guilty”?
As it turns out the majority of the rioters were not “anarchists” as our mayor suggested but pissed-off, alcohol and testosterone fuelled Canucks fans. I’m guessing the average age of the participants was twenty. The vast majority of them would never think to riot, but they did.
The riot probably cost the city millions in VPD overtime, damage and cleanup. Not to mention, the negative press from around the world. And the costs will keep mounting with endless police investigations, charges and court battles. Maybe those costs can be stemmed?
The riot erupted quickly; the Social Media response was instantaneous. Facebook pages, tweets, blogs condemning the riot were impressive save the few morons bragging about their new loot. Not surprisingly the posts and updates were also vicious. Threats of injury and death under the guise of public shaming flooded the net. Over night a new, highly efficient, court system formed, the court of Social Media.
The punishment inflicted by Social Media on the rioters was swift and ruthless. The perpetrator, their families and friends all felt the pain of the public shaming. It’s not nice but its effective.
A lot of stupid decisions were made that night. Let’s be on honest. We have all made stupid decisions. I’ve made a few. Ask yourself, as a drunken twenty-year-old, would the mob mentality have gotten the best of you? Is it effective to chase down every dumb ass that grabbed a purse or cheered on a fire?
For those who injured people, lit fires and initiated the looting, throw the book and make them pay. For the others, the VPD has other issues and the courts are burdened as it is. Let’s put our tax dollars to better use tax and let Social Media do its thing.
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