Sometimes, everyone gets punished for the actions of a few.

Thursday, August 30, 2001

Sometimes, everyone gets punished for the actions of a few. It’s an injustice that’s part of life from its early years, and it doesn’t necessarily change during adulthood.

It may happen in Northwood, if the city council adopts a curfew ordinance designed to get a handle on a vandalism wave that has cost the city thousands of dollars.

For all the law-abiding teens in Northwood, it’s not fair. It’s understandable that they, and their parents, would feel insulted by the notion that all children and teens would be held accountable for acts they didn’t commit – in fact, nobody knows who committed them.

Despite all that, the city needs to do what it thinks is right to protect public property from vandalism. Some person or group of people had quite a summer in Northwood, damaging enough property to make this an issue. Unfortunately, whoever that was spoiled things for everyone.

A curfew is not unprecedented; in fact, many cities use one. And vandalism isn’t the only reason for it: Keeping the streets clear of underage people at night also helps protect their safety.

Young people in Northwood may soon lose a privilege. Perhaps having their peers turned against them will be a start of the punishment the town’s vandals deserve.