Make example of hardhearted vandals

Many hours of compassionate work are undone in just the few minutes it takes for insensitive vandals to destroy it.

We have seen numerous examples in recent years of outside exhibits built and displayed by civic-minded volunteers destroyed by "pranksters" who get a kick out of defacing or wrecking these projects.

The latest example of such infantile behavior can be found in Geneva, where a vandal or vandals threw 180 plants into the Fox River from the State Street bridge, and in Naperville, where several United Way bug sculptures have been damaged by vandals.

This is not the first time the long-running United Way sculpture exhibit in downtown Naperville has been hit by vandals. Indeed, vandalism has been reported in every year of the program. Nor is it the first time the plantings in Geneva, part of a city beautification project, have been vandalized.

And some years back, Arlington Heights' "Ponies on Parade" charitable event was marred when vandals threw one of the pony figures into a trash bin and damaged another, dragging it down the street.

Sometimes, it's theft, not destruction.

Someone put a blemish on last month's opening of the 10th Annual Fine Art Show in St. Charles. One of the works from the "Sculpture in the Park" series was stolen.

Last year, two benches were stolen from Lisle's "Benches of Lisle" fundraiser.

All these events have two things in common.

One, they are put together in the name of charity, to beautify the community, or both.

Two, they are torn apart by people who either have hardened hearts or temporarily lost all ability to simply discern right from wrong.

But it hurts. It not only hurts those who are benefiting from the benevolence of these projects, but also the artists who take special pride in having their work displayed publicly.

Police can't spend every patrol hour watching over these exhibits. They do their best to catch vandals in the act.

But when they are caught, they can't get off with a mere slap on the wrist.

We're not saying vandals, many of whom might be teens, should have their lives ruined forever by a criminal record because of a single act of destructive stupidity.

But as we have noted before in this space, at the minimum vandals should be made an example of, and required to make restitution. For example, calculate the financial loss of a destroyed exhibit, and make convicted vandals pay that in the form of restitution. Calculate the number of hours it took to put a destroyed exhibit together, and make them do at least that many hours in community service. If proceeds from the auction of exhibit pieces ruined by vandals were to go toward helping the poor, then those hours should be spent helping those living in poverty. If the exhibits were meant to beautify the community, those hours should be spent cleaning up the community.

Who knows? Maybe this will have vandals discovering the goodness that is in the hearts of those who craft these projects out of compassion.