I need to express my sincere outrage at what happened Tuesday night. This week was Marti Gras and in Philadelphia we have a similar event called Fat Tuesday that was held. I think the total number in attendance was close to 40,000. Things got out of hand and stores were destroyed and looted. Cars were destroyed while they were trying to leave the area. Women and men alike were physically assaulted. It is absolutely disgusting and disgraceful that we allow this type of insanity to go on year after year. While I don’t live on South Street (where the event took place,) it is still like a home to me. I shop there, I hang out there, I eat there and when something like this happens I take it personally.
Unfortunately, it would came as no surprise to me to find out that the majority of these drunken rioters were nothing more than rich frat boys looking for a good time (mostly from the suburbs, not the city.) Physical bodies that do nothing more than take up space in our country’s colleges and universities. It would do this world (as well as Philadelphia,) a great service to once and for all dissolve these non-academically motivated collections of ignorance. For those of us who slaved for years over our books trying to achieve a better life for ourselves and our families only to have our homes and businesses destroyed by some dumb, rich frat trash because they cannot contain themselves in public is an outrage and should be abolished. Please don’t misunderstand me. I am all for having a good time, but it seems like more and more Fat Tuesday has come represent a drunken riot rather than a celebration of any sort.
For those of you who think I’m aiming my anger in the wrong direction, do me a favor: go into your glamorized frat houses and pretty suburban homes and grab something of value. Smash it on the floor in the middle of your living room and then urinate on it making sure that the stains will be permanently ground into your carpets and floors. You may even want to throw in a cigarette butt for effect. Not very pretty, is it?
- DB
