NO CURE FOR VANDALISM, BUT OUNCE OF PREVENTION STILL GOES A LONG WAY

Whenever vandals unleash their senseless mayhem on a community, it makes you wonder when it all started. Did Adam and Eve leave the Garden of Eden because some punks tromped on the flowers and spray-painted the everlasting rainbow in ugly hues of purple an orange?

Vandalism, like so many other ills of society, has always been with us. And there is no cure.

Take the latest incidence of broken handrails at Cape Rock Park. The park is the best vantage point from which to see the Mississippi River in Cape Girardeau. It also commemorates the French-Canadian trader for whom the city is named.

For some reason, vandals seem to enjoy making the park a special target. The handrails along the steps leading up the hill atop the park have been torn down in recent years more times than can be counted on one hand.

What a shame.

While there is no cure, there is certainly an ounce of prevention: vigilance.

Everyone who visits the park or lives nearby has some responsibility for keeping a lookout for anyone who might be involved in the vandalism. And if you see someone tearing up the park, by all means call the police. Immediately.