I wanted to comment on the events that transpired yesterday evening after Vancouver lost the Stanley Cup to Boston. Apparently some very disturbed individuals decided that rioting and destruction were the best ways to garner attention. Before we all throw the proverbial book at these troubled people, mostly youth & teenagers from what the news is reporting, I'd like to take a second and ask any of you if we could have seen this coming? Vancouver in recent years has become a breeding ground and a hotbed for crime, drugs, youth homelessness, gangs, and so on, and what are we doing about it?
Is it so hard to imagine for even a split second that the 17 year old you look at today with a tattoo, a nose ring, a green Mohawk, and leather pants, and all you see is a criminal or very disturbed individual, well why can't you imagine what that child appeared like a mere 4 years prior when he was 13? I bet if you saw that image you would have a very different opinion. If you actually browsed some of the pictures of the violators you would have noticed that they looked more like the kid next door than the description I just provided. We are all so willing to just sweep things under the rug, and pretend nothing is happening until it hits close to home. Maybe these kids, because that's all they are, are really misguided. Maybe instead of asking them what's wrong with them in an accusatory tone, we try to ask them if they need help!? I mean if something was wrong, you'd want help, wouldn't you? Instead of approaching these people with such hatred and animosity, and I'm sure as kids none of you perfect adults ever succumbed to peer pressure and did something you shouldn't have, maybe we could approach them with a little love, compassion, and understanding.
You wouldn't call a dog a hoodlum if you cornered it in a room, and were sticking a finger close to its face while telling it how useless, dumb and worthless it is in a loud aggressive tone, and the only way it knew to respond was with snarling, barking, and possibly a bite, would you blame the animal? If that same 17 year old who lit a car on fire last night because he is alone, hurting, confused, and very lost, was sexually abused at 13 and lived with an abusive step father until he ran away to live on the streets at 16 for his own safety, would you still have such anger towards him, or would you feel compassion and want to help? Enough is enough, let's take responsibility for our own actions, we are all part of society until we move away to the mountain tops and ignore everything, so until that happens, if you have a neighbour or a relative or an acquaintance that is hurting, or in need of attention, it is OUR DUTY, to do everything we can to help!
One leads to 100 which leads to 1000, and so on. If we continue to ignore these major issues, we will find ourselves living in Anarchy. These are the people who are eventually supposed to take over our society and help take it to the next generation? I'd say we are in big trouble if we ignore that 17 year old and all his issues, and we will see how he turns out all by himself, living on the streets or close to it, with no assistance other than from other kids in his situation, when he reaches the age of 25-30 do we actually believe that he will be okay, and a positive member of society, or maybe by then it's too late!?
I implore everyone to search your soul, and ask yourself if you could do more, then ask yourself if you would condemn a 17 year old who riots, or would you want to give them a hug and ask how you can help??
Is it so hard to imagine for even a split second that the 17 year old you look at today with a tattoo, a nose ring, a green Mohawk, and leather pants, and all you see is a criminal or very disturbed individual, well why can't you imagine what that child appeared like a mere 4 years prior when he was 13? I bet if you saw that image you would have a very different opinion. If you actually browsed some of the pictures of the violators you would have noticed that they looked more like the kid next door than the description I just provided. We are all so willing to just sweep things under the rug, and pretend nothing is happening until it hits close to home. Maybe these kids, because that's all they are, are really misguided. Maybe instead of asking them what's wrong with them in an accusatory tone, we try to ask them if they need help!? I mean if something was wrong, you'd want help, wouldn't you? Instead of approaching these people with such hatred and animosity, and I'm sure as kids none of you perfect adults ever succumbed to peer pressure and did something you shouldn't have, maybe we could approach them with a little love, compassion, and understanding.
You wouldn't call a dog a hoodlum if you cornered it in a room, and were sticking a finger close to its face while telling it how useless, dumb and worthless it is in a loud aggressive tone, and the only way it knew to respond was with snarling, barking, and possibly a bite, would you blame the animal? If that same 17 year old who lit a car on fire last night because he is alone, hurting, confused, and very lost, was sexually abused at 13 and lived with an abusive step father until he ran away to live on the streets at 16 for his own safety, would you still have such anger towards him, or would you feel compassion and want to help? Enough is enough, let's take responsibility for our own actions, we are all part of society until we move away to the mountain tops and ignore everything, so until that happens, if you have a neighbour or a relative or an acquaintance that is hurting, or in need of attention, it is OUR DUTY, to do everything we can to help!
One leads to 100 which leads to 1000, and so on. If we continue to ignore these major issues, we will find ourselves living in Anarchy. These are the people who are eventually supposed to take over our society and help take it to the next generation? I'd say we are in big trouble if we ignore that 17 year old and all his issues, and we will see how he turns out all by himself, living on the streets or close to it, with no assistance other than from other kids in his situation, when he reaches the age of 25-30 do we actually believe that he will be okay, and a positive member of society, or maybe by then it's too late!?
I implore everyone to search your soul, and ask yourself if you could do more, then ask yourself if you would condemn a 17 year old who riots, or would you want to give them a hug and ask how you can help??
interesting perspective; not without some merit and worthiness of closer inspection (profiles of the people caught). It brings to mind the perpetual issue of which wrong is more crucial and when does one wrong justify another wrong.
ReplyDeleteSometimes a reminder can be jarring (to a person or to society), but still insufficient to stir others to constructive action. Unfortunately, too often, we get on our high horse and defend the way we like to see our world instead of trying to fix those things we choose to ignore.
Well said, and great comment. Thank you for sharing. I definitely agree that we could all do more, and that high horse you speak of is a dangerous and very real issue. Just remember, it's a hard fall coming off a horse that high!
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