I Live in Vancouver and I Feel Sick

I sat in the Shark Club at Georgia and Beatty last night staring at the TV with tears in my eyes. I have lived in Vancouver for almost 30 years and I could not believe what was happening all around me. Across the street 2 police cars were on fire, up the street 2 cars lied in charred ruins in front of our post office and that was just in a 1 block radius and just a sample of what happened throughout the city.

We couldn't leave the bar until the coast was clear, it took a while, and the smell of pepper spray wafted through the windows. ((Thank you Shark Club for being awesome through this whole ordeal))

Here are some of the photos I took on my cell phone on our way home:

I made a joke in an earlier post about a possible game 7 riot. I never thought that joke would mean so much more now. I am heartbroken for all those businesses who were looted. I am heartbroken for the man who was beaten at the Bay for trying to keep the crowds back. I am heartbroken for those people whose cars were torched. And I'm heartbroken for all those kids who watched the violence unfold on their TV screens.

What happened last night does not represent the city I grew up in and the city I call home.

Now, people (and the police chief) are saying that the kids involved in the riot were a specific group of anarchists...a group known to police. A group who was involved in some nonsense during the 2010 Olympic Games. I was there on the streets, I saw the photos...NO. There were thousands of people on the streets. The people looting the Bay for Coach purses and expensive makeup were people like you and me. People with grey hair. Women wearing Canucks t-shirts. Adult men that look more like your 8th grade math teacher than a wild anarchist. A combination of booze, sun, and emotions created a mob mentality that swept up people who would otherwise never consider walking into a retail store and taking a purse. Yes, there were those that started the violence, who were clearly on the streets for no other purpose, but the others that got caught up in what was happening around them are just as guilty and they will be prosecuted just the same. CONGRATULATIONS...YOU ARE NOW A CRIMINAL. You should be ashamed of yourself.

There are heroes who are emerging from the mayhem, including those who took to the streets to clean up this morning, and the spirit of true Vancouverites will come through. But, we sustained a major black eye last night and the blood stained sidewalks are proof of that.

I'm sorry this happened to you Vancouver. And I'm sorry for all those people who woke up this morning with their new TV, purse, or bottle of perfume. You have to live for the rest of your life knowing you disgraced your city, your country, and yourself just for a new possession. It's sick. I hope you enjoy your new purse.

j

Ps. Here are a few photos that represent MY Vancouver: