In the aftermath of the violence in Vancouver last week this new site just popped up: Letters from the Front Lines: Vancouver Riot.

This blog hopes to present a different perspective on the Vancouver 2011 Stanley Cup Riot. Here, we’ll try to post letters of those that were working on the front lines: police officers, fire fighters, paramedics, doctors, nurses, hospital staff, transit staff, volunteers, and many more.

 
Reading through the various posts is a great reminder of how things work it the real world; responsible adult-types always have to deal with the mess after the irresponsible childlike-types throw one of their tantrums. This letter from an E.R. nurse is a perfect illustration, listing all the collateral damage inflicted by the thoughtless, out-of-control mobsters (may be a tad harsh 😕 but it certainly makes the point).:

An E.R. nurse’s thoughts on an instigator’s “apology”
 
Tim,

Just because you can string an apologetic sentence together does not mean you are sorry. Perhaps I should make you aware of the consequences of your action. To you, it’s just an overturned car that you set on fire. To me, it’s walking into an overflowing ER and helping treat a girl with a severe asthma attack because she was exposed to the noxious, acrid smoke of a burning vehicle. To her, it was just a chance to be a part of a group cheering for her team. Little did she know that later on, we were thinking of sticking a breathing tube down her throat if her condition did not improve.

To you (yes, I am lumping you with all the d****hebag rioters in the ER that night), it’s a chance to congregate in the ER waiting room, pounding on the triage window demanding to be seen for teargas exposure and cuts from looting and fighting, while posturing and bragging about how you kicked the crap out of somebody and smashed sh** up. To me, it’s taking my time away from the little old quiet lady having chest pain or taking time away from the person you “sh**-kicked” for trying to stop the looting.

To you, it’s just a fight. To me, it’s the ER social worker looking for a teddybear to console a 4 year old girl because she just witnessed her dad get a broken nose as he was trying to get his daughter out of the hotzone.

To you, it’s writing a letter saying “you will do whatever it takes to help clean the city.” To me, it’s walking home after a long shift and seeing all these people at 7:30 in the morning armed with garbage bags cleaning up YOUR mess and realizing that these people have more class in their pinky finger than you could ever muster in your whole life.

To me, it’s getting home to shower, only to have my elderly neighbour knock on my door and ask me if he should make an appointment to this doctor because he was experiencing shortness of breath which later turned to chest pain in the morning. He did not think about leaving his window open as he went to bed at 9 o’clock. The smoke from all the burning cars made it to our building, into his room and triggered his asthma, which then raised his heart rate, which then became a small heart attack. I asked him why he didn’t go to the ER, and he answered, “I turned on the tv this morning and saw the rioting, I did not want to be a burden.” To you, it’s just an overturned car that you set on fire.
 
Why am I blaming you for all this? Because you are the instigator. You ask people to leave your family, friends and co-workers alone?! I think they need to know how much of a colossal d***he you are. Remember that your parents worked themselves to the bone so they can move to this country and give you your god-given right to flip cars over and set them on fire.

You, Tim Kwong, are a d****htard. Apology not accepted.

— from a E.R. nurse

Check out the site – lot’s of encouraging posts by Canadians who really care about their city.
Kudos to all those honorable Vancouverans maning the front lines!