It has been a rough couple of weeks in one of Calgary's "entertainment districts". At least in the public's eye. But the interesting thing is, it's nothing really new if you actually live around 17th Avenue SW..
A few days ago, media got a hold of a video of a man getting pummeled by a couple of bouncers outside a bar. The video (taken by a bystander) was reportedly taken out of context, as the "victim" had apparently sucker-punched one bouncer and had been kicked out of the bar. As he was kicked out, he allegedly threatened the bouncers and staff that he'd come back, possibly armed. He came back, sucker-punched a bouncer (not sure if it was the same one), and that's when the beatdown happened.
And now this morning, we're hearing word of another assault in the same vicinity as the first one. We haven't heard a lot of the details yet so I hesitate to make any connections except for one. And that is the reaction that has started to funnel in on this Sunday morning: "what is happening to our city?"
The fact of the matter is: talk to any bar staff member or police officer on 17th Ave and they will tell you the same thing. They will tell you that these kinds of attitudes and incidents are nothing new. And it's not just on 17th Avenue but pretty much anywhere when you combine booze and large groups of people. Someone's bound to not like someone else and all you need to do is add some liquid courage to add to the powder keg.
Let's review three of the more high-profile cases where this combination really struck a chord for me:
#1. Lukas Strasser-Hird - police said it all started with some sort of exchange in a bar. The two sides were parted, found each other, were parted again, then Strasser-Hird was beaten to death.
#2. Nicholas Baier - RCMP say the suspect in the case had intentionally driven into a crowd of people at the Texas Mickey Bar after supposedly getting kicked out of a bar.
#3. Matt McKay - this was one of the first major crime scenes I remember going to working in Calgary. McKay was hit in the head with a pickaxe while trying to intervene in a dispute over unwanted guests at a house party.
What bothers me is that there seems to be a lot of attention being paid on the wrong issues. Some have pointed the finger (at least lately) on 17th Avenue as a whole for having too many bars. Others say it has to do with closing time and how everyone's let out at the same time. The issue of "over-serving" at bars is always brought up in this conversation. But no one seems to want to issue the REAL blame. And that should be targeted at us: human beings.
Since when do we have the right to get so drunk that we're belligerent to the point of threatening or harming others? Why is it that women are abused (verbally and physically) when they reject some guy's advances? And then when we do get kicked out of an establishment for being an idiot, it's perfectly fine to threaten, harass and/or come back to get revenge? The sad part is: for each of the examples I have outlined above, there are hundreds of others like it. Maybe not with as dire consequences, but go to a bar in Calgary and stay until the end. You'll likely see someone get kicked out at some point for unacceptable behaviour.
I don't want to be party pooper. But why should complete strangers have to babysit you because you can't handle your alcohol or because you don't like someone or because you got rejected by the pretty girl? Why should complete strangers have to feel the wrath of your anger for getting kicked out of a bar or a party? Why do you feel entitled enough to come back to wage war on those who have "done you wrong"? Own up to your actions. And if you see a friend being obnoxious or worse, tune them in.
I know everyone wants a silver bullet to "make Calgary safe again". We want that always-loved "silver bullet" that can fix the problem. Unfortunately, that silver bullet isn't changing closing times, "cutting people off" from booze after a certain point, or limiting the number of bars on a strip. It's going to depend on the sense of entitlement people seem to have after a couple of wobbily pops. And sadly, that doesn't look like it's going to change any time soon.
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