On Vancouver Riots and Mob Justice 2.0

Mon Jun 20 22:27:47 2011 EDT (-0400 GMT)

I’ve been listening to and reading about the aftermath of the Vancouver riots and I still can’t muster up any sympathy for those outed as suspects in the rampage “by the internet”.

The specific example of Nathan Kotylak is the most interesting at the moment. He appears to have paid the highest cost for his actions so far.

No one should be making threats towards the Kotylak family, no one but the courts can judge his guilt or apply a penalty and I appreciate Nathan’s apology – but I’m still not willing to excuse a teen learning publicly that there a consequences to public violence.

I grant that the violent destruction of [capitalist] property is how some choose to express themselves politically or otherwise. But I’m no fan of violence, and I don’t think it’s a meaningful way to make one’s point.

Black bloc or Canuck bloc individuals engaging in these activities know the consequences of their actions. Their intent not to get caught only mitigates their liability in their own minds; not the victims’, other citizens’ or in the justice system.

People need to learn that committing violence in public and assuming it won’t be made public is like assuming you can swim and not get wet: it’s impossible unless you wear a full body suite!

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