Last night the Auburn Community's main park had it's playground torched.  As an member of the rec district's board of directors I am obviuosly upset.  As a father and resident of the community I am furious.  Vandalism & delinquency costs a community on so many levels, from lost dollars and time, to lost opportunities and as was the case with a rock toss over an overpass recently, serious injuries and possibly worse. Whether in the heart of a city, or in an outlying suburb it is getting worse,... auburnscott Roni Deutch comment-34684 2010-08-11T20:51:02Z 2010-08-11T20:51:02Z How unfortunate! I love children, and hate to have read that they were secondary victims of this arson. Roni Deutch 2010-08-11T20:51:02Z mrEd comment-34560 2010-08-10T02:21:51Z 2010-08-10T02:21:51Z The fact is that we don't know who did it or why... it could have been adults for all we know. Studies do show that organized youth activities decreases youth crime. Perhaps Auburn is the only place immune to social funding cuts, but I doubt it, so it's likely there have been cuts in youth activities there as there have been elsewhere. I never indicated their should be no accountability or responsibility; I was responding to the knee-jerk punishment response from the previous post. If you also think there are ample programs for youth and the solution is a caning stick... well... good luck with that. mrEd 2010-08-10T02:21:51Z Scott Holbrook comment-34550 2010-08-09T21:34:46Z 2010-08-09T21:34:46Z We are blessed in the Auburn community to have numerous youth activities, In fact the park where this happened includes a public swimming pool available at real low cost, we have youth team sports, activities such as ping-pong, we built a skate park, we have open gym time for free - hell we have lakes and rivers my kids go to all the time, we have driving ranges, movie theaters. These kids (I am assuming here) have tons of stuff they can do, we have a free to attend Boys and Girls Club, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Future Farmers, we have an off road motorcycle area, we have performing arts programs- that excuse does not fly MrEd - we are not talking about kids smoking pot or other harmless bored kid activities - we are talking crimes that are hurting people & sending them to the hospital, and others that are costing thousands of dollars putting them into the felony area - For all I know this was a prank to put on You-Tube - it is getting worse and worse -I think we need to have serious consequenses for parents and kids - Make them think very hard when they light that match - Making excuses and blaming society allows for acceptance and excuse of bad behavious - we need to instill individual responsibility & accountability! Scott Holbrook 2010-08-09T21:34:46Z mrEd comment-34545 2010-08-09T20:58:05Z 2010-08-09T20:58:05Z Often it is a lack of youth activities programs that lead to this sort of destructive behavior. Unfortunately funds for such youth programs are cut to accommodate the wealthy by way of tax cuts and/or funding pro-corporate wars overseas. Perhaps instead of brutalizing the perpetrators of this crime, as suggested above, we should take a hard look at our priorities when it comes to public funding and such that might otherwise occupy youth more positively in the community. mrEd 2010-08-09T20:58:05Z Robert Horowitz comment-34542 2010-08-09T20:44:41Z 2010-08-09T20:44:41Z A little Singapore-style caning would fix their wagon. All the vandalism at the newly fixed up schools around Sac makes me sick. What is wrong with these people? Perhaps this type of behavior could be deterred by a good, old fashioned ass whooping, televised for everyone to see... Robert Horowitz 2010-08-09T20:44:41Z Scott Holbrook comment-34540 2010-08-09T20:30:14Z 2010-08-09T20:30:14Z Turn in Vandals! Scott Holbrook 2010-08-09T20:30:14Z