To the Editor,The recent case where a practically grown graffiti offender and his parents were sued for $27,000 by the City of Langford for his graffiti damages is a sign that elements of this generation are abandoning the importance of personal responsibility and justice in favor of profit of those of a vested interest. In the case, the unnamed committed the act of vandalism alone when he was 16 and 17 years old between 2006 and 2008.The city and two other businesses taking action in a lawsuit may seem like a monetary victory, but it is a defeat for principle. Many of us, including myself, take it for granted that we have children that abide by our virtues nor have any psychological challenges or unexpressed passion that tempt destructive rebellious expression.Human nature often needs to be tamed and some require more taming than others. Personal responsibility for one’s actions is the foundation for the development of an awareness that one can override one’s emotion if the emotions will lead one to disaster or chaos. With this in mind, what did the parents of the graffiti tagger have to do with his vandalism? I’m sure they did not aid or encourage his misguided expression.Youth Criminal Justice Act or not, the criminal justice system must be sensitive to the victims of crime and must take great consideration for the degree of justice that is needed to give a moralistic lesson to the perpetrator by giving dignity, consideration and respect to all those affected.I believe these kinds of civil lawsuits that go after the parents of young offenders should be abolished because they threaten to open the door to the justice system being more about profit and greed than correction.In the end, we are more than a product of society and very much an expression of ourselves and parents should not be sued and put on the street because their child of whatever age is bringing discord to our tranquility.Holden Southward Nanaimo
