The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
The streets of Flin Flon are abuzz with talk of that most senseless variety of crime. I'm talking about vandalism, a problem that for all our wishful thinking simply isn't going away. Our community has endured its share of this type of destruction. Flinty's Boardwalk has been brutalized on numerous occasions. Tires have been slashed and cars set ablaze. Strange and hateful messages have been spray-painted on businesses and homes. All vandalism is disturbing, but one of the most troubling incidents I'm aware of took place uptown earlier this year when someone threw a milk crate through a bedroom window and ran off. The culprit must have been in search of cheap thrills and probably didn't realize just how frightening this was for the occupants. Why? That's where discussions on vandalism inevitably lead. What is accomplished? What could ever be gained? It has been suggested by at least one reader that the media is only adding to the problem by reporting on these criminal acts. This, he insisted, emboldens the perpetrators by giving them their five seconds of fame. I disagree. Forget the fact that our coverage has brought valuable tips to Crime Stoppers and the RCMP. It's common sense that hiding a problem is no way to deal with it. So how do we deal with it? We need to start by eliminating any excuses we've created for vandals. Statements such as "If the kids had more to do in this town, this wouldn't happen" aren't helping. Remember that even youths in the largest of cities, with innumerable activities available, are never satisfied with their leisure time options. To say vandals do what they do because society is somehow failing them eschews their responsibility. The vandal and the vandal alone is to blame. Therein lies a key in halting the senselessness. Have you ever had a rude awakening? This is when you come to realize the hurtful impact your foolish words or actions have had on others. It's got to be the worst feeling imaginable. This is exactly how the vandals must be made to feel. We can give them all the fines and community service we want, but unless they feel accountable for their actions Ð and see how they hurt others Ð the path of destruction will likely continue. I know this type of approach is already employed within justice forums, which bring victims and perpetrators together. I think that's fantastic, and certainly something on which to build.
