Have you ever been to a large sporting event, and the announcer or the crowd will be unified in a moment of disapproval of a call by the referee? Scary, isn't it. We have heard stories about large football (soccer) contests where the crowd has become a destructive element, being whipped into a frenzy over the result of a match. Or maybe you have seen the pictures of the team's hometown after having won the SuperBowl or the World Series, or the NBA Championship? How about when a union goes on strike or does some very aggressive picketing the quickly degrades into pushing, shoving and then violence? Or do you remember those "non-violent" peace rallies of the '60s & '70s that ended with someone getting bloodied-up?
I think that it is amazing that we live in a country (USA) where we have the right to assemble as we wish, and can express our opinions freely, but nothing is free of consequences. You know that law that states, "...for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction...". I think that it is in the Constitution, or something. In other words, however we choose to act there will always be a reaction.
Back to the mobocracy....when things get out of control it is up to each individual to maintain control over his own actions and not let the actions of a group dictate how one reacts in a situation. Cooler heads must prevail. Too many times emotions rule over common sense. Is it better to get caught up in the moment where the end is more important than how we get there? Is it really the right thing to take advantage of a crisis, if it serves your purpose. The result is that we usually get more that we bargain for, and people get hurt....or maybe I am just taking advantage of this crisis....It may be...just an observation.
