Clubs, Beer Bottles and Pitchforks

Reading the Police Blotter for June 22 would be enough to frighten away any prospective new residents to North Bay. In fact, it might be enough to persuade some of the faint-at-heart to pack up and move to quieter pastures. What kind of people are these neighbours of ours that they would attack their fellow citizens with baseball bats, beer bottles, pitchforks and finally their boots and fists?

It seems that they range in age from mean-spirited young teenagers to an older woman who imbibed too many spirits. That a number of the reported acts took place late at night or near the environs of drinking establishments may say something of the demographic, but are these villains out in the light of day as well? Are they the unemployed, the under-employed or perhaps disgruntled employees? Given that the teens are possibly still in grade school and the older person was of retirement age, we cannot assign those easy reasons for their behaviour.

Alcohol, drugs and a Barbie-doll fetish may give the social workers some clues to the madness of the weekend. The moon was not full, so that excuse is not available. Violence in video games, the movies and TV are other easy non-excuses for this lamentable behaviour. Boredom does not cut it as a reason anymore than being ‘angry’ at authority figures, such as parents and teachers. Add to the list the all too common family breakups and we have a part of society heading down the wrong track.

Things could be worse, of course. There were no reports of gunfire or bombs, problems faced every day by citizens in other parts of the world. Our local miscreants are still at the level of spray painting vandalism – they call it tagging - but that can easily escalate to destructive vandalism of smashed windows and up-turned cars. Fortunately, our police and public-spirited citizens are watching our little band of wrong-headed people. Recycling them through the court systems may deter a few of them from further anti-social behaviour.

On the bright side, we can read reports of young people excelling in sports and studies; older people doing small acts of kindness whether it is for a wayward turtle or helping the elderly, and service clubs committed to bettering our community. Amid all the gloom and doom of the current economic downturn, the birds are still singing and the flowers still growing.

Maybe we need a spate of news about clubs, beer bottles and pitchforks to awaken us to the good things in life. Whatever the reasons the people who garnered the crime headlines on Monday gave authorities for their behaviour, I hope they have better days ahead.