Willow Elementary Principal Alberta Nordberg acknowledged some in the community have asked why the suspects, ages 13 and 14, and their parents weren’t part of cleaning up the mess they allegedly made. Because of the groundswell of emotion over the vandalism of the local school, she said it was best for the safety of the youths.
“I don’t want those kids in there cleaning it up because I don’t want an adult to have the opportunity to be angry at those kids,” she said.
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While Nordberg’s concern over someone trying to exact some vigilante justice is valid, the school missed an opportunity to educate. Although it doesn’t relate to reading, writing or arithmetic, making the boys and their parents help clean up the mess would have been the first step in helping teach them about accountability. One of the basic lessons in life needs to be clean up your own mess. We’re reminded of the old nautical quip: “Well, if it’s the captain’s mess, let him clean it up.”
Of course, the juvenile justice system will seek to enforce legal accountability, and it should. Although young, these boys allegedly committed some very serious crimes — acts that carry serious consequences. It’s not like they put cellophane over the toilet seats or hid all the blackboard erasers. Whoever trashed Willow Elementary School (and the suspects were caught blue-footed with paint on their shoes) pried open an outside door then smashed classroom windows with fire extinguishers. They smashed computers, printers, monitors and other equipment, scrawled threats on the walls and trashed the library.
When asked by Alaska State Troopers about the vandalism, they reportedly said their motivation was boredom, that they didn’t have anything better to do. We trust the juvenile justice system can find something productive to counter that boredom. We hope any punishment includes healthy doses of community service and hard work cleaning up Willow and the surrounding areas.
“They’re not hopeless,” Nordberg said of the vandals. “Their behavior is not hopeless. We can get these kids turned around.”
We hope so, and in a way that would discourage other youths from seeking out mindless destruction to curb their boredom, and encourage parents to be more in tune and attentive to what their children are doing. Although it comes from a young hand and a spray paint can, the writing’s on the wall.
Comments
11 comment(s)Smitty wrote on Apr 25, 2008 12:19 AM:
Koree wrote on Apr 24, 2008 11:59 AM:
DAN wrote on Apr 23, 2008 1:04 PM:
I dont need to know what my kids are thinking just raise them right. After all we, as parents, are held responsible for our kids actions!
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CS wrote on Apr 22, 2008 4:14 PM:
Bored? wrote on Apr 21, 2008 2:07 PM:
trish wrote on Apr 21, 2008 12:37 PM:
man wrote on Apr 21, 2008 6:50 AM:
James wrote on Apr 20, 2008 10:27 AM:
Kim wrote on Apr 19, 2008 10:12 AM:
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Was an alarm system in use? wrote on Apr 19, 2008 10:09 AM:
Big Lake wrote on Apr 18, 2008 8:51 AM: