Vancouver riots

[shotty 7]

that dude is front page news everywhere right now. as the article pointed out, he came forward only after it was blatantly obvious that he had been positively ID'd. much like A-Rod and his PED use. what makes this guy any better than the rest of the punks who burned cars (government vehicles) or looted or fought or vandalized? because his surgeon father immediately hired a lawyer? because he could be an olympian? where he comes from and what he could accomplish in his life has no bearing on the punishment he should receive. if anything he knows right from wrong by way of a positive upbringing. sorry bro, but missing your high school convocation and being suspended from your water polo game isn't punishment, it's a byproduct of your actions.

[5 Minute Major 1]

that dude is front page news everywhere right now. as the article pointed out, he came forward only after it was blatantly obvious that he had been positively ID'd. much like A-Rod and his PED use. what makes this guy any better than the rest of the punks who burned cars (government vehicles) or looted or fought or vandalized? because his surgeon father immediately hired a lawyer? because he could be an olympian? where he comes from and what he could accomplish in his life has no bearing on the punishment he should receive. if anything he knows right from wrong by way of a positive upbringing. sorry bro, but missing your high school convocation and being suspended from your water polo game isn't punishment, it's a byproduct of your actions.

agreed

[IPv6Freely 2096]

I had a bit of a discussion with my wife on this, since she's a dispatcher and works very closely with emergency services.

She says that yes, their claims that things were started by a small number of individuals that were highly prepared for a riot (carrying flammables, wearing masks, etc) is likely true because as we can all imagine, a few people start a riot and 100,000 angry/upset people are going to join in. Most of those people who "participated" did so STRONGLY out of character, and likely regretted their actions immediately (not that that's an excuse).

I'm no Vancouver fan (though I have friends there so I was rooting for them in the finals for that reason), but I just don't want this awful black mark to define Vancouver residents and Vancouver fans. I think these say more about Vancouver than all the other photos you've seen:

[chippa13 1844]

Character is defined not by doing the right thing when it is easy but by doing the right thing when it is hard. I'll leave it to those fans who were "caught up in the moment" to decide for themselves.

[wrangler 157]

I find it hard to believe that people acted strongly out of character. In my experience, it's more like people shedding inhibitions, when they don't feel they'll have consequences. And if you could really see their past, you'd see other actions consistent with this stuff, just not brought into the public eye, and not mentioned now by folks who know them. IMO, your character is an intrinsic and inseparable part of you, not something you wear, that slips now and then.

[raganblink 82]

From what I've experienced in 'riot' type situations is this (for the record, I was apart of a riot earlier in my life, [did not do anything illegal except be apart of a mass crowd, however I did witness many people committing arson, vandalism, theft, etc and did nothing to stop them]), while in these types of crowds we have a sense of adrenaline rush through our bodies. Our actions are severely less based on logic and more based on going with the crowd, which is usually the stupid decision.

A great analogy I believe represents this correctly is when you're at a bar (or whatever) and are drinking. You see a person you find as your 12. Just drop dead gorgeous. In my situations while completely sober I find it difficult talking to very attractive women, everyone else is fine (IDK why this is). However if I've been there an hour and she comes in... I'm going in. You do things you normally wouldn't do. This is pretty much what most people being in a riot are feeling. Logically you wouldn't throw a rock at cops or smash in a window, but, you feel as if there are no consequences for your actions, and you're high on a rush, and you do it anyways.

I believe the people writing 'we're sorry' etc are those who were like me in the riot i was in, sorry it happened, but not sorry at the time what we were doing. The people (like this kid) are more sorry they got caught then participating in it. If you were genuinely sorry you were involved in this riot, and you did something illegal, you should turn yourself in and face the consequences of your actions. However those who have been arrested are sorry they got caught, not that they did it.

[biff44 0]

Just attended the Bruins victory parade in beantown. 1.5 million people, and it could not have been more peacefull.

I spent a week in Vancouver before, and I do believe the fans who point out that it was only a small minority of people going nutz. Still....it WAS a major riot. Under that calm Canadian facade, there are some smoking ashes or anarchy.

Shit, you can't even carry pistols for personal protection here let alone cross the border with them. However, after this display....

Yeah, sorry for you guys. You let your rights get flushed away, and now you can't get them back.

There are plenty of people in the USA trying to trash our gun rights at home. But it is too ingrained in our culture to let them go. We do not completely trust our government, and know things like this (riots, terrorist attack, violence) can happen, and there is never a cop around when you need one.

[IPv6Freely 2096]

You guys really picked up my on my mention of character. Let me clear that up... what I mean by that is that I would guess that friends and family of most of the rioters would probably tell you "that's not like him/her to act like that...". It's amazing what a riot can do to the average person, the adrenaline rush as raganblink mentioned. As he said, it's like a high where you lose your sense of right and wrong (again, NOT that that excuses you by any means...)

Just attended the Bruins victory parade in beantown. 1.5 million people, and it could not have been more peacefull.

I spent a week in Vancouver before, and I do believe the fans who point out that it was only a small minority of people going nutz. Still....it WAS a major riot. Under that calm Canadian facade, there are some smoking ashes or anarchy.

Yeah, sorry for you guys. You let your rights get flushed away, and now you can't get them back.

There are plenty of people in the USA trying to trash our gun rights at home. But it is too ingrained in our culture to let them go. We do not completely trust our government, and know things like this (riots, terrorist attack, violence) can happen, and there is never a cop around when you need one.

Err.. what? When we did we let our rights get flushed away?

[wrangler 157]

From what I've experienced in 'riot' type situations is this (for the record, I was apart of a riot earlier in my life, [did not do anything illegal except be apart of a mass crowd, however I did witness many people committing arson, vandalism, theft, etc and did nothing to stop them]), while in these types of crowds we have a sense of adrenaline rush through our bodies. Our actions are severely less based on logic and more based on going with the crowd, which is usually the stupid decision.

Precisely why I used "feel" instead of "think" in my last post.

You guys really picked up my on my mention of character. Let me clear that up... what I mean by that is that I would guess that friends and family of most of the rioters would probably tell you "that's not like him/her to act like that...". It's amazing what a riot can do to the average person, the adrenaline rush as raganblink mentioned. As he said, it's like a high where you lose your sense of right and wrong (again, NOT that that excuses you by any means...)

And those friends and family probably haven't seen the individual's bad side directed towards them; the family may not have seen it at all. But I suspect the friends have seen some acts directed towards outsiders they don't respect, though the acts may have not been quite as bad. I believe we see what's inside the individual coming out, rather than behavior that's "not like" him. And if honest critical analysis is applied to what the friends have seen of the individual, they might have to say the riot behavior isn't a total surprise.

I've found it interesting, over the years, to see where people draw the line. Some people have a line between what they will and will not do. Others I've known have only a line between people they won't mistreat, and others, who are fair game for anything. Fear of societal sanctions are often the only thing that restrains these latter individuals.

Regarding self-induced disabilities, however, I cannot speak. I don't have the background or knowledge to understand exactly what effect drugs and/or alcohol may have in these situations, when they are metabolized in the quantities that seriously impair function. So my comments relate to individuals not substantially impaired.

[Chadd 916]

Regarding self-induced disabilities, however, I cannot speak. I don't have the background or knowledge to understand exactly what effect drugs and/or alcohol may have in these situations, when they are metabolized in the quantities that seriously impair function. So my comments relate to individuals not substantially impaired.

Drugs and alcohol don't make you do anything, that's just an excuse. An excuse I've used from time to time, but BS none the less.

[IPv6Freely 2096]

And those friends and family probably haven't seen the individual's bad side directed towards them; the family may not have seen it at all. But I suspect the friends have seen some acts directed towards outsiders they don't respect, though the acts may have not been quite as bad. I believe we see what's inside the individual coming out, rather than behavior that's "not like" him. And if honest critical analysis is applied to what the friends have seen of the individual, they might have to say the riot behavior isn't a total surprise.

Fair and good points, sir.

[Bimmer 0]

I have to believe that the folks that incited alot of this were not fans at all, just taking advantage of a situation with the clear intention of causing damage. I read somewhere where the Vancouver Police said they even recognized some of the people who were rioting as those who started trouble at the olympics, which I really don't belive but on the other hand I do believe that people went there prepared (with weapons and such) to start trouble regardless of the outcome of the game...Good to hear that the parade in Boston was peaceful though...

[tips09 0]

my buddy who was there trying to get the hell outta there said he saw a few people wearing tshirts that said I just came here for the riots! pretty embarrassing if you ask me

[Stoop 1]

Just attended the Bruins victory parade in beantown. 1.5 million people, and it could not have been more peacefull.

...Good to hear that the parade in Boston was peaceful though...

Well congrat-u-f-ing-lations. Why wouldn't the parade in Boston be peaceful? That town is the most blessed/fortunate/lucky of all sports cities. They've hit the jackpot over and over and over this decade. They're the sports fan equivalent of the richest part of town. Don't see many riots there.

I know people like to focus on the random hooligans and separate it from the sporting event. That's fair, but only to an extent. The team, the game, the loss -- that's a significant background of frustration and pain. It's easy to say "c'mon, it's just sports" from afar, but "just sports" doesn't acknowledge the real time, money, and emotion people put into the culture of fanhood. A team as good as that Vancouver team, who has never won, to get that close and fail so sadly, leads one to think that it'll never happen. The sport is artificial, but the despair isn't. And it's something that sports fans in many cities can't understand.

[interpathway 9]

Drugs and alcohol don't make you do anything, that's just an excuse. An excuse I've used from time to time, but BS none the less.

Those who act in ways contrary to what they normally do often cite alcohol or other psychoactives as the reason. The drug doesn't force actions on anyone, but it unlocks a door (one that would likely never be acted upon in sobriety) that the person still chooses to open and explore.

[HolyRollie 0]

I know people like to focus on the random hooligans and separate it from the sporting event. That's fair, but only to an extent. The team, the game, the loss -- that's a significant background of frustration and pain. It's easy to say "c'mon, it's just sports" from afar, but "just sports" doesn't acknowledge the real time, money, and emotion people put into the culture of fanhood. A team as good as that Vancouver team, who has never won, to get that close and fail so sadly, leads one to think that it'll never happen. The sport is artificial, but the despair isn't. And it's something that sports fans in many cities can't understand.

I think you are forgetting the decades of suffering Boston fans endured prior to all of these championships...we know exactly how you feel.

[eric42434224 1]

Didnt Boston riot in 2004 for the red sox...and didnt even someone die?

No city is immune to riots. Idiots live in every city.

[interpathway 9]

[wrangler 157]

I couldn't take much more than two minutes of that; it was hard work listening. The digitization of the sound didn't help, but that kid's mumbling sure made it hard to understand quite a bit of what he said. I obviously can't speak to his sincerity, or lack thereof, but his manner of speech reminded me of a kid walking through an apology at a parent's insistence.

[Beflar 53]

I went to a comedy show (Rob Schneider) and he had a few jokes about the riot.

"It's not a riot if no one dies.

It’s not a riot if you set a fire and then come back to help put the fire out.

It's not a riot if you flip over a car then come back to help flip it back.

It's not a riot if you don't have black people."

[Canuck 0]

Seriously it doesn't matter what city your in a riot can happen and probably has during some point of time. I was in Los Angeles during those riots and dozens died. The whole freak'n city was on fire(at least felt like it). The big problem I see with the Vancouver riot was the lack of police presence. Anytime you have a lack of it people who want to will take advantage of it. Same thing as having electronic sensors at the mall. If you can deter behavior its LESS likely to happen. Alcohol or drugs don't make people riot or loot lets get that clear. A lack of respect for people's property and the law do. Besides name one large city world wide that hasn't had a riot??? Even then other countries are likely to deploy the military during those ones(although the national guard did during the LA riots).

[chippa13 1844]

Most large cities have had riots but Vancouver seems to be making it into a bit of a habit. That isn't the fault of the police, that is the fault of the people.

[shotty 7]

twice in 17 years is a habit?

[chippa13 1844]

The only reason it isn't more frequent is because the Canucks only lose in the finals that often.

[Goonsquad 209]

The only reason it isn't more frequent is because the Canucks only lose in the finals that often.

And they only found 6 pack of these and found out afterwords it was non alcoholic!

http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/ii169/thegoonspot/PRE_2011-08-01-213016.jpg