Evening star., 1940-01-26
The Problem
Of Handling
Vandals
Wilful Destruction
Is Due to Lack of
Understanding
BY ANGELO PATRI.

We spend huge amount of money
every year in making and main
tanning parks, Fairgrounds, SWIM
ming pools, libraries and such serv-
ices as the public demands; and
every year We have to pay again
for the same things because some
uninformed youths destroy this VAL
liable property. The waste is shock
ing, but the spirit behind 1t, the
ignorance, the wilful destruction,
the lack of understanding that
moves such destructive spirits is
both shocking and saddening. What
makes young men, and sometimes
girls, destroy lovely things intended
for their enjoyment?
have no answer for that ex-
cept to say that 1t must be ignorance
Of the results of their gestures and
a lack of useful occupation for the
leisure of which they have so much
just now. Satan finds work for
idle hands, and 1t is likely to be
destructive work.
Maybe it would help if every
school, church or meeting place,
where children gather, would make
1t a duty to inform these young
people of the need for these serv-
ices, Of their cost, and where the
money comes from to supply them.
Don't do that" said a teacher
to a young man who was breaking
shrub to pieces in a parkway.
"1s 1t yours? Do you pay for it?"
he retorted scornfully AS a matter
OF fact she was paying for it, and
so was he, and his family and every
other family in the State, but he
did not understand that. Somehow
such boys get the idea that what be-
longs to the public belongs to some
body who ought to be punished for
owning 1t. "1t's public property"
The implication is that public prop
erty is subject to destruction at will,
their destructive will.
We could arrest them, and then
what? The only thing to do is to
inform them. Teach them the mean
ing of these services and keep on
teaching them until they under
stand sufficiently to leave them
alone.
1t might be a good idea for the
police, who were obliged now and
then to arrest some Of these de-
structive young people, to arrange
to give them course Of lectures,
which they would be obliged to
take, on the cost, care and main
tenance of these services. Give
them test at the end Of the course,
and if they do not pass, have them
take it again until they did. The
police force and the Army and
Navy ought to be educational forces,
and they ought to be brought into
the service of such uninformed
youths as these who destroy prop
erty.
Locking up young person or fin
ing him does no good. Somebody
else pays the fine and the commun-
ity pays the rest of the bill while
the young person is Just a degree
or so more antagonistic.
If, instead of being punished in
that way, he was registered in a
course of civic training admins
tered by the police, the engineers,
the officers of the Army and Navy,
they would learn many things they
are in ignorance Of and benefit in
many ways by their experience with
such teachers. Force won't work.
We might have better luck with
education-if we tried It.
1t isn't fair to allow your child
to form bad habits that will ham,
per him in life. Send for Angelo
Patri's booklet, Annoying Habits"
inclosing 10 cents in coin. Address
Angelo Patri in care of The Eve
ming Star.