AJC > Sandy Springs > Blog > Archives > 2008 > September > 08
Monday, September 8, 2008
Cowardly act is not free speech
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
For the second time, someone spray-painted a swastika where everyone could see it in our neighborhood. The first was on a speed bump; the latest one was on a stop sign.
This comes at the same time as the neighborhood is at odds with The Epstein School over the school’s desire to expand its campus. The police are investigating, and between the Mountaire Springs Neighborhood Association and the City of Sandy Springs there is a $5,000 reward for the arrest of the person who did this.
Right now the conventional wisdom is that this is the work of someone in their teens that doesn’t understand the severity of their actions. Part of me really hopes it is a kid, for two reasons.
One, teenagers are prone to do stupid things due to their lack of maturity, which is not an excuse. It bothers me that any child was parented in a manner that would result in this kind of behavior. But kids that make mistakes have the opportunity to learn from them.
The other reason I hope it’s a kid is that anyone ignorant enough to spray-paint an obscene symbol like that during this time is also stupid enough to brag about it. And I’m guessing they are also not the kind of person that a legion of other kids wouldn’t mind turning in - especially for $5,000. That’s a nice payoff for doing the right thing.
However, if the person who did this is an adult and you think you are speaking for many of us, think again. Those of us opposed to the Epstein expansion would be opposed if it were a Protestant school, a Catholic school, or a 18-wheel truck driving school. Our opposition has nothing to do with what is being taught - it’s about the size of the campus.
And if you do have a problem with what is being taught at Epstein kindly have the courage to say so publicly. Painting a swastika on a stop sign is not an exercise in free speech - it’s the act of a coward.
We use the word “neighbor” too often without thinking. While it does refer to those who live near our home, it is also a term of familiarity and affection. So if the person wielding the spray paint is an adult you may live in the neighborhood, but you are not our neighbor.
But I think I can speak for most of us when I say the following - and I’ll use small words.
Please go.
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