There’s a story today that a large, illuminated American flag display in Whitewater was vandalized. The worst crimes are, surely, crimes of violence against people. Yet among property crimes, not involving harm to a person, there’s a particularly crude aspect to vandalism. It’s a purely destructive property crime.
The large display that was damaged this week was years old, had been in numerous parades, and on display throughout the year. It was a non-partisan symbol of support for this country, for our resilience after attack, and for America’s ongoing promise for hundreds of millions.
One has myriad reasons to believe (as I do) in America, for what’s possible on this continent, and through our peaceful relations with friendly nations beyond these shores.
And yet, and yet, even if one doubted these things, it would still be wrong to destroy others’ property, wrong under the law, and wrong even if there were no criminal law at all.
There’s a sad irony in this, too.
The society that has fostered and rightly protected free and peaceful expression in print and online, through newspapers, magazines, books, television, radio, mobile phones, websites, blogs, Facebook, Twitter, and text messages, etc., still has among its number a few who reject these many legitimate means of expression for crude vandalism.
We are right to be disappointed in, frustrated by, and resolute against these crimes.