Letter: Disliked vandalism verdict

The melodrama involving the Hudson vandals has reached a very disappointing conclusion. I’m sure there will be lots of high-fiving among those who felt sorry for the bunch or wrote it off as a teenage prank. Indeed, a good deal for defendants and a lousy one for the law-abiding citizens.

When you get the do-gooders who downplay the vandalism with the boys-will-be-boys logic as well as folks who claim no harm, no foul because there was no alcohol, or sex or drugs or violence, only property damage, then I guess we should have expected what we got.

Letters of apology, speeches to school boards, banning from high school campuses, minimal restitution, expunged records for good behavior, et al, just doesn’t appear to be right. No mention of future discipline for repeat actions by the bunch; would have thought that should have been part of any decision and/or public comments, even if only as a deterrent to future pranksters.

I am sure we will hear in this forum from those folks who will preach that the vandals were severely punished — beating their chests that the group has suffered through embarrassment, lost personal opportunities, large expenses, parents humiliated, the list can go on and on.

I’m sure Judge Needham took into consideration when reaching his decision the current wave of copy cat crimes that are happening throughout our country. No one would like to see a repeat, but it sure looks like he set the minimum punishment for those who try to “one up” the Hudson bunch.

We had an opportunity to punish those who broke the law along with deterring similar acts. Unfortunately we struck out.

Tags: opinion, hudson, vandalism, vandals