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Post by Cablemender on Jul 28, 2004 20:00:49 GMT -7
Okay, let's try this poll thing out. It seems a trio of twisted little punks have been vandalizing a cemetery here in town (Pensacola). This is a cemetery that is among the oldest in Florida, and is in the National Registry of Historical Places. St. Michaels cemetery was started a couple hundred years ago by the Spanish settlers in the area, and there are records that indicate there may have been internments on the site as early as 1755. These idjits attacked several times, and in their latest achievements, toppled headstones, shattering some to baseball-sized pieces. They cracked the covers of tombs and caused generalized destruction of the place. Now these aren't kids from bad homes in crime-filled neighborhoods, they come from decent neighborhoods in the area. The local paper, the Pensacola News Journal, a.k.a. "the mullet wrapper" says they can get 5 years in the slammer and $5,000 in fines for EACH count, and they are facing 21 counts of grave desecration. Link to the story: www.pensacolanewsjournal.com/news/html/E1E01C1F-AE22-4BA5-A914-AA16B73A5369.shtmlSo, as to punishment, what does your scale of justice say? And a definite [glow=red,2,300]Bravo Zulu[/glow] to the MARINES who showed up last Saturday with picks and shovels and an engine hoist to put back what could be.Link to cemetery home page photos: stmichaelscemetery.org/gallery/photogallery.htm
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Post by Galvin on Jul 28, 2004 21:42:03 GMT -7
Put them to work doing something totally useless, boring, and tedious for a long, long time. It'll keep them off the streets. Counting molecules sounds like a good start.
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Post by Patch on Jul 29, 2004 4:45:20 GMT -7
I think by jailing the kids, it would only take away their fear of punishment, and maybe make them worse. I vote community service and pay restitution.
Make sure the community service is in the cemetary to fix what they have done and educational type institutes so that maybe you can spark their interest in something more fufilling than vandalism.
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Post by Richard on Jul 29, 2004 4:55:02 GMT -7
Instead of 5 years in the slammer 5 years mowing and grounds keeping at the cemetery for free. At least 16 hours per week, so they could go to work and school to pay restitution.
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Post by stetto on Jul 29, 2004 5:06:10 GMT -7
...Not sure about the 5 year thing, but definitely a "tour" of the facilities might put a little perspective into their chosen liesure activities.
Also, if they are minors, the parents should be given some serious incentive to instill discipline and a sense of right and wrong in their kids--aren't parents of minor children legally responsible to one degree or another in most states? To bring back the days when people raised their kids again, what a concept!!
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Post by Grug - American Neanderthal on Jul 29, 2004 5:08:28 GMT -7
That will teach me to vote in the poll before I read the story. I was thinking they were teens, knowing they were not I would say "all of the above". With the caveat of it being a Mexican prison.
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Post by GySgtUSMC on Jul 29, 2004 5:24:09 GMT -7
I agree with Richard's approach plus I would have them make a written apology to all of the living descendents of those whose memorials were destroyed.
Talk about a research project. That could take the better part 5 years or more.
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Lightning
Listener
R/C Combat flier aka.Lawn Dart king
Posts: 91
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Post by Lightning on Jul 29, 2004 5:29:45 GMT -7
Certainly old enough to know better! They should be made to fix what they can (properly) and pay for the rest. Jail will just make them worse! And maybe 5 yrs probation to behave themselves. Just my 2c.
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Post by Britbrat on Jul 29, 2004 5:41:39 GMT -7
I'd like to break their hands, feet, arms & legs, then bury them in the graveyard up to their necks for the ants -- however, that would probably traumatize the little dears! I think that Richard & SgtUSMC are on the right track, except that I would make them do face-to-face aplologies to the living relatives -- at their own travel expense -- which they would work off at the cemetery.
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Post by ctdahle on Jul 29, 2004 7:48:51 GMT -7
I would sentence them to:
1) Face to face apologies to the living relatives.
2) Restitution in the form of repayment of the complete cost of restoring the monuments to their original condition.
3) 200 hours of useful community service.
4) $500 fine for each damaged grave and five years in jail, both sentences suspended however on the condition that 1-3 are completed within 1 year.
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Post by Richard on Jul 29, 2004 10:03:24 GMT -7
CT, you are probally close to what they will actually get, now what they deserve is a different matter even if it was one of my kids or grand kids, or great grand kids.
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Post by JohnC on Jul 29, 2004 17:10:11 GMT -7
Public Caneing (sp) take them to the most public spot in town and give them X lashes with a nice, flexible rattan cane. JohnC
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Post by RetNavySuppo on Jul 31, 2004 4:31:54 GMT -7
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Post by HB on Jul 31, 2004 4:51:38 GMT -7
Captions
Officer to police dog:
"not you stupid!"
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Dog to officer "I was just walking by, I don't even know these guys" ;D
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