I'm From Vancouver and I'm Embarrassed

Here I am in Africa where people are protesting over corruption and oppression, and at home in Vancouver they riot over a hockey game. On Wednesday night I wanted so badly to be at home watching the Stanley Cup finals with all the other Canucks fans but by Thursday morning I was happy to say I was nowhere near that city.  It was the weirdest feeling to be sitting in my guesthouse in Africa in the quiet of the early morning, watching the coverage of the riots and feeling like I was safer here than I would be at home. Because if I was at home I am sure I would have been downtown Vancouver that night, trying to escape what looked like a war zone in a politically volatile country. I never thought it could happen, but right now I am ashamed and embarrassed to say I am from Vancouver.But I also have hope that the world will see the cleanup efforts by the people of Vancouver, and realize that senseless violence and destruction are not what our city and our hockey fans are all about. The people that were there by 7am Thursday morning in their Canucks jerseys cleaning up the mess of the night before are the real fans and the real face of Vancouver. Thank you to those people and thank you to those that are working to identify the criminals that attempted to destroy our beautiful city. I'm proud of where I'm from and normally I want to shout it to the world. I just hope that the next time I tell someone I'm from Vancouver they don't immediately associate me with the ignorant acts that took place that night over something as stupid as a hockey game. I hope they think of our great hockey team and of the beauty of Vancouver and BC. It really is the best place on Earth. Please don't let this change that. 

GO CANUCKS GO