I’ve always wondered about the concept of mob mentality and how dangerous it can be for anyone to fall victim to it. It’s something that can change a person’s life in just the blink of an eye, it can also make a person past tense. One wrong word, one false accusation, and a life will be lost. Just like that.
The annoying thing about mobs is that they don’t really care about the crime that has been done, they are just looking for an easy target for their anger and frustration. So, the first person they find accused of being a thief, they lynch them without any thought of whether they’re wrong or not. That’s just how bad it can be.
It’s not today that we’re hearing about the heartbreaking effects of mob actions. People have accused others only to recant after the mob has killed them. So many people have lost their lives simply because a group of people chose to act out of anger, instead of following due process. They don’t want to know for sure if there is truth to the accusation, they don’t even want to consider the idea of due process and legal paths. They just want to hurt and maim people.
And so, we see it. We see a group of people gather around and beat one person. When a thief is caught, they first of all beat them terribly, to within an inch of their life, before they will even consider lending them a listening ear. Even Police officers display this disgusting behaviour. You see them when handling regular civilians, and slaps and kicks will be followed. They’ll treat you like real scum of the earth, some of them will even go as far as using the butt of their guns to strike you. Mob mentality.
In the end, it won’t matter if you’re innocent or not, you’ve already been punished for the crime. And in extreme cases, you might never survive that punishment. And sadly, most of these things go unpunished. How many perpetrators of jungle justice have you seen brought to book? I don’t know if it’s simply because the authorities fail to actually investigate such activities, or if it’s just because after the act is done, everyone simply disappears. It happens.
And even more heartbreaking, it happens online as well. All it can take to turn your online persona upside down is one tweet taken out of context, and the mob will come for you. They’re just as vicious as the mobs offline, because these ones pull no punches. The mobs on the streets will only attack you in person, and if the cops arrive, they might let you go. But online, when their sights are set on you, there’s no stopping them. They’ll come for your parents, siblings, friends, enemies, dogs, and even the innocent cockroach in your cupboard is fair game. Everyone in your life is set for dragging.
And also, unlike the physical mob, you don’t have to be accused of anything. You simply either have to exist or have an opinion that they don’t support. Then you’d watch them come for you. It’s sad just how bad society has allowed itself to decay and rot. You can’t really be safe out on the streets, but you can’t be safe online either. Everywhere you turn, someone or something is gunning for you. It’s really crazy!
Let’s just be safe out there, because the mob can come for us anytime. Whether online or offline, let’s just hope we’re in the right frame of mind to handle it. Because it’s not for the faint of heart.
God sees all.
