In a really perverse way, I sympathise a little with all you Alex Pro apologists. I mean, it's really hard to understand why anyone would get mad at a bunch of people lighting stuff on fire, breaking things and picking fights with cops. I also understand how many of you are willing to give Alex Pro the benefit of the doubt and yes, I understand, it's really easy to make mistakes especially when all your bros are with you goading you on (who wants to disappoint their bros???).
On the other hand, I implore all of you, the mountain biking bro, to try and understand my point of view, that of the tax paying citizen who has to endure all of your bullshit (for the second time in 15 years). From the comfort of your parents' basement, I would like you all to consider that I, like your parents, work very hard to pay for a roof over my head (and that of my family) not to mention taxes so that our governments (local, provincial, federal) have the money to pay our public servants to make our city, province and country secure. I think for the most part that they do a very good job and I don't mind paying for the services that our government has to offer. This is how we build community and a strong community is the bedrock for maintaining a high standard of living. A high standard of living is what gives me the opportunity to participate in frivolous middle class conceits, like ridiculous sports where I throw myself down a hill on two wheels.
When one of your precious bros gets together with his precious bros and starts having a big bro party which involves lighting stuff on fire, breaking things and picking fights with police, you're putting on a huge drag on my standard of living. Your bro party costs a lot of money, time and other resources. Not only are you making it hard for me to get home without getting tear gassed, you're damaging a lot of public property which is a drag on my taxes. You're putting the lives of a lot of cops at risk and if they get hurt, that's another drag on my taxes. When a cop gets hurt at your bro party, that means an ambulance that was on standby in case of other medical emergencies has to be pulled away to look after said cop. That puts other people at risk, like the old lady with with health problems or the motor vehicle accident victim or whatever.
Your bro party has a large fiscal and social cost which is entirely unnecessary. But I guess I can sympathise a little bit because 1) your hockey team lost 2) who doesn't want free stuff on robson street???
On the other hand, those of us who pay taxes, including your parents don't like the idea that money has to be reallocated in order to pay overtime for our deserving police, paramedics, nurses and doctors when that money could have been spent on improving services that we elect our government to provide (including parks which contain mountain bike trails, some of which Alex Prochazka may have ridden). Many of us taxpayers frown upon this sort of thing and those of us that witnessed the first stanley cup riot, really frown upon this sort of thing. In fact, there are several of us who don't want another riot to occur in Vancouver ever again regardless of the shame and dissapointment of losing a hockey game. And what better way to remind the bros of our resolve than to make an example of bros like Alex Prochazka? If Alex never finds another sponsor again I think it would serve to set a really good example for anyone who decides to throw another bro party the next time the canucks lose a stanley cup.
Sorry bros but I don't think Alex is done paying the piper.
PS bros,
nice shirt bro
