Comments on: The Vancouver riots: a backlash against the backlash

By: markps2

markps2 — Sun, 24 Mar 2013 13:05:45 +0000

Ironic comment from a Dr, when his Doctor brothers are the ones giving the excuses. Doctors are the ones that will name Nathan a victim of mental illness.
This naming is in order to profit, as in make money. Nathan will need years of therapy and medications for his illness.

LikeLike

By: Carolyn Thomas

Carolyn Thomas — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 13:38:46 +0000

And that’s exactly what we were afraid of. Your comments make me somehow feel better that at least many of the thugs experienced “a few angst-ridden days” – likely the worst punishment they’ll actually receive. Thanks, Susan.

LikeLike

By: Susan

Susan — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 12:49:43 +0000

I am a forensic technician and I as well as many police officers spend hours and hours working on cases that seem cut and dry and rarely do any of them make it to court. Crown stays so many charges or they triage the cases and refuse to approve charges and I am talking about files a lot more serious than vandalism and looting.

I am dismally sure 99% of these will never be dealt with by the courts.

Public shaming and the few very angst-ridden days some of these people have suffered will be the extent of their punishments, though their names may remain in infamy on the web so future employers can do their own “background” checks.

LikeLike

By: Carolyn Thomas

Carolyn Thomas — Sun, 17 Jul 2011 19:24:35 +0000

Thanks for your comment, David. My cynical self wonders what if any “punishment” will be dished out to Vancouver rioters – yes, even ones caught on film trying to set police cars on fire. But as we say in PR: “Today’s news is tomorrow’s fish wrapping” – and already this topic seems to have fallen off our collective radar. Pity….

LikeLike

By: David

David — Sun, 17 Jul 2011 19:14:35 +0000

Very well said. Consequence has become unpopular in our society for those who destroy what is not theirs.

Unfortunately that consequence still must lay with someone or something (every action has an equal and opposite….). Events like this that go with little punishment shape who we are and our “internet mob” may play a role in reforming this. Regardless of background, setting a police car on fire is bad, and being stupid enough to do it on TV deserves stiff punishment.

LikeLike

By: Susan

Susan — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 18:43:11 +0000

Great piece Carolyn.

I feel the parents of all these rioters, looters, lookers and losers are squarely to blame. They obviously never instilled any sort of morals in their ilk; they never taught them to respect anything or anyone, nor did they teach them that there are consequences to their actions.

Now I believe there were basically three types of people involved with the riots- those that are just naturally low-Q’s and thugs, those that are closet thieves (wannabe badasses) and those who might be redeemable, got caught up in the crowd power and are truly ashamed (…that they got caught).

The difference between them and those of us who contribute to the world is their upbringing.

Now not all of the cretins involved in the riots came from a bad background; some of them came from hard working immigrants who came to Canada to provide a better life for their children – a life where looters aren’t shot on sight and the penalty for stealing does not incarcerate them in prison or labour camps for ten years. How sad that they worked so hard to give their children the opportunity for success that they somehow missed the mark by not instilling values like honesty, integrity and respect.

Then there are those “normally really good people who got caught up in something and really really can’t believe they did that” lowlifes that are shocked we can’t quite forgive them because gosh darn they just made a mistake.

They come from successful mostly two parent families – the kind with little white decals showing mom dad kids and the family pets on the back window of the mini-van. They have had the benefit of soccer, hockey, little league, gymnastics etc. and Mom and Dad have been out to support them at all their games, recitals etc. Unfortunately what they haven’t had is the benefit of a smack on their bottoms when they deserved it, literally or figuratively. They weren’t taught that bad behavior could get them more than a “time-out” in real life. These are the same kids that mom and dad would give a wad of money to on Friday nights and tell them to have fun but be good, the kids that walk around in groups kicking in fences. They would never dream of kicking in fences when on their own, but the power they feel in the group easily overrides the weak sense of responsibility and accountability instilled by their parents.

We need to give these losers the education their parents failed to provide. We need to teach them that there are consequences. The courts will be pathetically lenient so since stoning is illegal, public shaming is really the best recourse at this time. Keep their names and faces in the limelight. Make their parents aware of what they have cast upon society. However IF the miscreant somehow can atone for their actions (financial commitment to their victim(s) being about the only really acceptable form of apology) then that should be made known too; Little Johnny will pay $10,000 towards that burned out police car that is not covered by insurance or Little Sally will pay the wages for the number of days an employee missed while the coffee shop Sally helped to trash was being repaired, PLUS a contribution to the cost of the actual repairs- really this is the only way these people can regain one iota of respect from regular society. I don’t care if their parents shell out the bucks – like it or not it was their responsibility to raise their children with morals and ethics and values and they failed.

As for those uneducated, unemployed dope-smoking empty pocket dirtballs (especially those who think they can hide behind bandanas and hoodies) the only way they can give back at all is to use contraception – every time.

LikeLike

By: Carolyn Thomas

Carolyn Thomas — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 19:52:56 +0000

That’s the puzzling thing, Scott. These rioters were all well aware that hundreds of cell phone cameras were photographing their actions – how could they possible believe “no one is watching?”

LikeLike

By: Scott Leaf

Scott Leaf — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 19:00:45 +0000

it is amazing how people are only talking of just the police car and Nathan. Nathan started doing his violence earlier that day and there is visual evidence. He did not just walk out after the game and get caught up in the moment. He is linked with proof to other fires, a possible assault and looting. His apology reflected just the one incident that was being showed at the time. I do not believe in “my child would never do that!” mentality. I think Nathan finally got caught in a behaviour that goes on when he thinks no one is watching.

LikeLike

By: Carolyn Thomas

Carolyn Thomas — Sun, 26 Jun 2011 16:11:55 +0000

Not sure if a “low IQ” actually has anything to do with it. There’s “stupid” – and then there’s “stupid”. What these thugs do likely share is a low expectation that they’ll actually have to face any consequences of their stupidity.

LikeLike

By: blogmefast

blogmefast — Sun, 26 Jun 2011 00:13:16 +0000

I think that these youths are sorry only because they were caught. Those tears are real crocodile tears. It seems they have no conscience and probably a low IQ. Anyone with at least an average intelligence or sensitivity would know that what they were doing was extremely dangerous.

LikeLike

By: Carolyn Thomas

Carolyn Thomas — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 03:41:33 +0000

Thanks for your comments here. It’s been interesting to see how in just one week, media sentiment seems to be shifting in favour of the beleaguered “victims” (now being embarrassed by being outed in social media).

LikeLike