Stop-sign vandals are endangering lives

Vandalism is always costly and irritating.

No property owner wants to find spray-painted sentiments on his home or car, and the persons who damage property in this way are immature criminals at best.

But there's a kind of vandalism happening in Southeast Missouri that's more than costly and irritating.

Someone is pulling up stop signs around Scott City, according to commissioners with the Illmo Special Road District.

And the Missouri Department of Transportation recently sent out a press release explaining that the same thing is happening in Morehouse, Mo., a small town just west of Sikeston.

It is inconceivable why people would put lives in danger in such a manner. It doesn't take long to figure out what will happen if a motorist is zooming down a rural road and the cross traffic doesn't know to stop.

In addition, each stop sign costs $40, plus another $18 for the post. That's money robbed from taxpayers.

Let's hope these vandals can be stopped before someone dies due to their childish pranks.