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OPINION: Criminalization of flash mobs: 8/18/11ASHLAND, Aug 17, 2011 (The Daily Independent - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- It wasn't that long ago somebody had to tell me what a flash mob was. Once enlightened, I had to approve. It was cool, a sensation, something else to keep today's youth occupied for good instead of evil. For those of you who are like me, let me explain with a quick definition. A flash mob is a group of people that assembles suddenly in a public place, briefly performs an unusual and sometimes seemingly pointless act, then disperses, often for the purposes of entertainment, satire or artistic expression. Flash mobs -- usually announced online in social networking sites, or by emails or text messages -- were benign and entertaining. How cool is that. It took some thought, some planning, maybe even some practice, to get it down good. I've seen a couple in person -- one at the Ashland Town Center -- and watched numerous Youtube videos of several others. One of the best ones was when a church choir broke into a singing of the Hallelujah Chorus at a busy mall during the Christmas season. It was moving and could bring you to tears. Nice. But the cool is gone from the flash mob. Instead of how cool is that, it's now how criminal is that. Recent gatherings by groups of teenagers have evolved into more evil actions. A flash mob believed to have been organized on the Internet robbed a Maryland convenience store in less than a minute Tuesday. Surveillance video shows a couple of teens walking into a Germantown 7-Eleven store at 1:47 a.m. Saturday. Then, in a matter of seconds, dozens more young people entered and grabbed items from store shelves and coolers. Police said the teens left the store together, without paying for anything. There were at least 28 different individuals confirmed on the video, according to authorities. Here's the best part. The Montgomery County Police posted the surveillance video on YouTube.com and asked for help from the public in identifying the perpetrators. Many have called in with names although, so far, no arrests have been made. But make no mistake, the mob is front and center in today's flash mobs. What was once innocent child's play has become a new way to commit crimes. How sad. It's so bad in Philadelphia that Mayor Michael Nutter put in a 9 p.m. curfew Fridays and Saturdays for those younger than 18 in Center City, the heart of Philadelphia's downtown, and in University City, home to the University of Pennsylvania and Drexel University. The earlier curfews became necessary after several mob attacks by young people were alerted to gatherings via email and social media. Parents and minors face big fines if caught violating the new rules. Violent flash mob attacks were reported recently in other cities across the country, leading to crackdowns on curfew enforcement and added police patrols. Extra state troopers were ordered in following what was described as a "mob beating" at the Wisconsin State Fair. Flash mobs haven't been a problem in our neck of the woods yet. But bad things have a way of trickling down to us. How sad indeed. MARK MAYNARD can be reached at [email protected] or (606) 326-2648. To see more of The Daily Independent or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.dailyindependent.com. Copyright (c) 2011, The Daily Independent, Ashland, Ky. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For more information about the content services offered by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services (MCT), visit www.mctinfoservices.com. |