“This is why we can’t have nice things.”
That’s a phrase we’ve all heard at least once in our lives. It’s most often trotted out when something typical or expected happens. In 100 Mile House, you tend to hear it after an act of vandalism.
Last week the District of 100 Mile House posted a photo on Facebook letting the community know that the new basketball courts, opened just last month, have already been vandalized. An unknown individual, likely using a knife, slashed the padding around the basketball hoops for no apparent reason other than they could.
Obviously seeing the willful destruction of public property is upsetting, especially when it’s done to something that has been so well received in the community.
After years of disuse, the District’s choice to turn the old tennis courts into a tennis and basketball court hybrid was an inspired choice. The growing basketball community has embraced it and seeing it get used brought smiles to many in the community.
Following this vandalism, many are now calling for cameras to be installed around the courts to catch the vandals in the act. In recent years Centennial Park has been vandalized several times including earlier this year when the spray park, right next to the new basketball court, was also damaged with a knife.
Mayor Maureen Pinkney said that everyone at the District is disappointed someone chose to do this. She added she hoped that someone saw the incident and comes forward so those involved would be held accountable.
On the District’s post, many blamed the youth of the community and bad parenting. While that may be the case there’s no evidence that points to how old the perpetrator(s) were.
One way the community can fight against vandalism that doesn’t involve investing in a surveillance system is to model respect. Respect not only for our fellow citizens but also our community and the facilities within them. That way when people are bored and feel the desire to spray paint a wall or cut something with a knife they’ll think twice knowing how much value it has to the community.
Truth is we can have nice things, we just need to make sure everyone values them.
