My heart goes out to the owners of the small 118-year-old school house near Becker that was vandalized recently. Another unfathomable, senseless act by hoodlums who have no respect for property, people or themselves. Imagine the coldness, the selfishness, the insensitivity these delinquents possess and the grim future they just laid out before themselves.

 

When we were young and impressionable, we did some dastardly things too, but in all my memory I don’t recall ever destroying something that wasn’t mine nor endeavor intentionally to be so violent and destructive.

 

The most we would do as kids was swipe apples from a neighbor’s apple tree.

 

I grew up in the Leave it to Beaver and Brady Bunch era that promoted family values, taught morals and responsibility and garnered respect for elders and parents. Not like the kids of today who are impressed by shows like Family Guy, How I met Your Mother and Modern Family TV programs that allow for freedom of expression, thoughts and actions.

 

It’s a sad state this country is in and the vandalism at the old schoolhouse is yet another example of a society bent on accepting tolerance, social zeal and selfish gain.

 

Even Eddie Haskell from Leave it to Beaver — who was sort of a bully to area kids and to the Beaver and a smart-mouth — was raised with enough character to respect and be polite to the parents and elders of his friends.

 

I wonder what was going on in the minds of the hooligans last week as they smashed the windows of the small schoolhouse to gain access to the inside? Was it glee? Was it pride? Was it regret?

 

I also wonder what was going through their minds as they gripped their sledgehammers and heavy-handedly shattered a porcelain sink? When they pulled the pin and sprayed fire extinguisher material all over the building did they laugh uncontrollably or did they chant obscenities? And when they ran off with an antique bell, did they feel power and think they were invincible as they ran from the site? Were they laughing while trying to impress each other? Was there any sense of contrition? Are their hearts really that black, dark and evil?

 

Let’s hope the punks who took delight in desecrating someone else’s property for their sick, twisted satisfaction get caught by police and face serious time behind bars. It would be great as part of their sentence to have to clean up their destruction, pay for the repairs and replacement and get some earnest counseling.

 

When Eddie Haskell got caught doing something unruly, he always fessed up, apologized and faced the consequences. Unlike these barbarians who have no respect, honor or morals. Right now, I hope they are cowering in fear of the inevitable — getting caught and facing deserved punishment for their deeds.

 

My plea is for anyone who knows something about this crime, to do the right thing and turn them in. 

 

Let’s bring back some decency to this world we live in.