Editor, The News:
Recently it has come to my attention that a fair number of Maple Ridge residents are engaging in cyber bullying – creating social media pages to intimidate, manipulate, put down, falsely discredit or humiliate people with the intent to hurt or embarrass those who have a difference of opinion.
Their main targets are the homeless and people suffering mental health or substance use disorders.
Those who at their lowest point in life, with an already unstable mental state, do not need to be ridiculed, picked on, followed around with cameras and harassed.
But the bullying doesn’t stop there. They’ll target anyone who dares to disagree with their way of thinking.
Posting photos of people and comments in online groups and public pages, then verbally attacking the person, mocking their intelligence.
You would think this sort of behaviour would be on the decline given the histories of cyber bullying and it’s outcomes.
These people are grown adults, who consider themselves hard-working, tax-paying citizens of Maple Ridge.
What kind of example are they setting for the younger generation?
That it’s OK to make fun of people who don’t share your opinion?
It’s one thing to have a cause that you believe in and promote and stand up for that cause. It’s another to post things on social media solely for the purpose of ridiculing, telling people they are wrong, unintelligent, and are just a bleeding heart with their head in the sand because they have compassion.
Maple Ridge is facing an epidemic, as are many other cities.
Hate and bullying are doing nothing to help the situation. They only makes things worse.
J. Curtis
Maple Ridge