It's been more than two months since a select few Tucsonans decided to take their frustrations out on Fourth Avenue-area bars, restaurants, street signs and shops following Arizona's loss to Duke. The memories of The Hut - the bar engulfed in flames after rioting citizens decided to turn over a family's RV, destroying everything inside - have begun to fade from everyone's minds.
Nearly 1,704 hours have passed since members of the Tucson Police Department handled - some say questionably - the uprisings that developed in the center of Tucson's nightlife center.
Since the night of April 2, TPD officials and Tucsonans have had the opportunity to share their thoughts on the evening through a series of public-sponsored forums.
In the wake of last Thursday's final riot forum at the Tucson Convention Center, Tucsonans and TPD officials should let it go.
Dwelling on one of the most regrettable events in city history will only dredge up the feelings of ambivalence between the police and the citizens that believe TPD acted wrongly - either too aggressively or too passively - in handling the situation. Tucsonans and TPD officials should bury their feelings of distrust and start fresh despite the feelings of mutual animosity.
After all, city officials and citizens have had 10 weeks to voice their opinions on what they believe is an imperfect system to politicians and police representatives in an open, free-flowing manner.
Now it's time for both parties to return to their corners and call a truce.
Furthermore, TPD officials should end the witch-hunt that they have initiated in an attempt to regain public support following the riots by removing photos of the crimes from numerous Web sites. By removing the bounties from the heads of the Tucsonans forever immortalized on the TPD's tipster Web page, department officials will regain the trust of an often-responsible public.
Conversely, the public needs to realize that the events from the night of April 2 were handled - for the most part - according to TPD policy. Just as the majority of citizens acted properly the night of the riots, most TPD officers acted according to their own departmental guidelines. Blaming the entire department for the actions of a select few officers would be tantamount to TPD blaming all Tucsonans - not just the rioters - for the burning cars and broken windows on Fourth Avenue.
Both sides have had time to voice their disagreements with each other, but talk is cheap.
Now is the time for action and - hopefully - peace.
