The Veterans Memorial Building is a cherished monument to
residents who have served the country. It is a place where
relatives of fallen soldiers go to remember and to honor. It is a
place where the community gathers twice a year to officially
commemorate those who were lost at war and those who were lucky
enough to come home
The Veterans Memorial Building is a cherished monument to residents who have served the country. It is a place where relatives of fallen soldiers go to remember and to honor. It is a place where the community gathers twice a year to officially commemorate those who were lost at war and those who were lucky enough to come home.
It is a place that demands respect from visitors, some of whom have made a regular habit of forgetting its importance and treating it like their personal playground.
It has been that personal playground of sorts for the many skateboarders who have been using the building’s front courtyard for years – the activity has intensified once again more recently – and the practice has to stop. It is offensive, of course, to the thousands of local veterans who have sacrificed themselves for others. But it is also offensive to the taxpayers who own the monument, and who paid $4.4 million just eight years ago for an extensive renovation that is being denigrated by property damage done by skaters.
It starts with the skaters and their parents. If the skateboarders can’t get the message and learn to respect the country and its soldiers, not to mention the public’s property, then it is upon their parents to make sure the message is clear. Inherently, many kids don’t listen or don’t care, or their parents don’t care enough to tell them. That is why it is incumbent upon police officers and sheriff’s deputies to send a message, when necessary, to violators.
Law enforcement agencies, particularly the Hollister Police Department, are strapped by the budget. But all it takes is developing some level of presence. Patrol officers already drive by because it is right in the heart of downtown. If they see the skateboarders on the property, why not at least stop briefly and tell them to scram, or at least beep the horn? Teaching teenagers to respect the laws now is better than waiting for them to start committing more serious crimes later in life.
Taking a minute or two here and there to enforce the rules – which the kids are aware of, and which are stated clearly on the property – would help prevent such abuse and preserve the landmark for many years to come.
