An angry mob takes on a violent and unaccountable mindset that is oftentimes completely separate and frequently disassociated from the individuals who participate in it.
When they form, ordinary people will easily find themselves doing things in a mob that they would never imagine doing if left alone with their own choices. A faceless mob is a very frightening thing indeed for anyone who ever finds himself in its way.
Here in Madison back in 2020 we had such a mob. Two unaligned, but very angry women broke ranks from the group to physically assault an elected gay assemblyman who had made the mistake of video taping the crowd madness. The women put the poor guy in the hospital, and were later charged for their roles in the violent assault.
Needless to say, mobs can also come wearing uniforms, badges and guns while ostensibly violently rampaging in the name of law & order. This week, a particularly cruel mob visited Memphis, TN. Five of those mob participants will now have the rest of their lives to reflect upon the consequences of their individual actions during their five minutes of mob rage.
[File under: It could never happen here.]
