Vandalism Incident at Decatur Cemetery
Decatur Metro | October 17, 2012A reader writes in…
There was a vandalism incident at Decatur cemetery sometime between Sunday afternoon and Monday morning. A headstone was significantly defaced with toothpaste. The police were called and collected evidence, including the toothpaste box, which is being checked for fingerprints and from which they have a high level of confidence of getting some, considering it was very fresh. The perpetrator, when found, will likely face charges of criminal mischief, which, depending on the severity, could be punishable by up to 5 years.
Anyone with knowledge of this incident is asked to contact Decatur Police Investigator Vandiver.
Not sure I fully understand the danger posed by a tube of toothpaste. Is it the sticky factor? Does the flouride dissolve certain kinds of headstones?
Maybe they wrote something inappropriate with toothpaste that chemically altered the color/weathering of the headstones. Just a guess but how else could toothpaste hurt granite?
Sounds like naughty 12 year olds. They should be punished by having to scrub the rest of the stone to the same color with their toothbrush, but not five years in prison. goodness gracious!
Depends on the level of damage and intent and maturity of the perpetrators. If 12 year olds googled the information and knew that toothpaste would permanently damage the headstone, (not that I know what toothpaste does that, just saying), it’s a more serious offense, IMHO. Not jail but something bigger than a few hours of civic service. If it’s an early Halloween prank by usually well-behaved kids who exhibited ignorance and bad judgment, not malice, it’s a lesser offense, IMHO.
For me, I don’t care what is done with my headstone, if there is one. Cool graffiti art, streamers, plastic flowers, blue Decatur diner-ish tile, and witty sayings sound good to me. But my grandmother visited my grandfather’s grave weekly, kept the plot and headstone gorgeous, brought fresh, not plastic, flowers, and planted flowers in the warm weather. For her, any vandalism at all, even temporary, would have been horribly upsetting. Besides upsetting patrons of the cemetery, gravestones are history and art and should not be tampered. We’d hate to have to close off the cemetery for walking, biking, and picnics just because of vandalism.
What if the finish is permanently damaged? It might be. I seriously doubt whether kids, if caught and found guilty, would receive the maximum adult sentence. But I like to think about them being forced to sit down with family members of whoever’s grave they defaced and discuss why they did it. In addition to a boatload of community service of the most odious kind that can be devised.
People disgust me sometimes. I sincerely hope they are caught and punished.
This is sorta like the opening of The Exorcist.
Apparently these vandals knew exactly how to permanently damage a headstone.
“Never put toothpaste or shaving cream on markers as they have oils that remain forever, even if you rinse it right off. Over time it may darken and promote growth. ”
http://www.tngenweb.org/darkside/cleaning/
This has to be a prank gone wrong by some kids. I recall when I was in HS, some seniors through motor oil on the granite facing of the main hall of school — they got caught, had to pay to hire a sandblaster or whatever to fix it… Embarrassed as hell, parents probably strung em up, lost privileges, had to earn $ to pay it off… Punishment enough.
Kids do stupid stuff and punishment should fit the crime. Sure, vandalism is dumb, and this one is particularly tasteless, but jail? Come on…
So this is what being in a small town feels like. When I lived in Charm City our house was burglarized and we had to beg to get the crime lab to be called. Then I had to call the next day because they never showed up. Here we have the crime lab for defacing a headstone. Feel like I am in the twilight zone. In a good way.
I hope the local news media correctly describes the location of this incident as City of Decatur, and not Postal Decatur. We wouldn’t want anyone to think that East Lake or Snapfinger or Candler-McAfee have first world problems.
This would be investigated in any town if it occurred at a historical landmark. If it was kids, I would think and hope that they are made to work it off in a humiliating fashion, like digging graves in drag or picking up dog dookie bare-handed.
If it’s an adult, I hope he/she/they do some time, I’m like the other guy in that I could care less what’s done with my body or headstone when I’m dead, but I understand that a lot of people freak out about those kind of things. That’s why, when I run in the cemetery, I swallow my phlegm rather than expectorate on what many of my fellow humans consider hallowed ground. Respeck.
I’m for a complete ban on assault pastes like Colgate 47s. A well brushed populace doesn’t need dental-grade whiteners just to hunt plaque.
Hey now. Toothpastes don’t deface headstones, people deface headstones.
I bet they got the toothpaste at Dollar General.
+1