As disturbing as it was, people shouldn’t read too much into the vandalism spree that ruined cars and defaced buildings in Berlin last week.
This was not the result of a societal upheaval or the emergence of a hate group that threatens to grow and develop, but was the work of one or more young idiots with nothing better to do than to express their frustration with their own stupidity.
That’s about it. These are marginal people who don’t want to be, but have no way to excel and gain notice other than to do something that will get the town talking.
Of course, because the perpetrators remain anonymous – for the moment – any satisfaction they might have derived from their action will be short-lived, because they will, as individuals, still remain unnoticed.
What is the point, after all, of doing something to get noticed when, by virtue of remaining nameless, it can’t happen?
If someone were truly tough and wanted to be known for it, the thing to do would be to step up, admit the crime, take the medicine and then re-build his public persona by working to make the town a better place.
Maybe that sounds corny to someone who thinks spray-painting cars is an achievement of some sort, but there’s nothing the public appreciates more than a reformed offender.
If, on the other hand, the perpetrator or perpetrators lack the courage to do that, they will simply have to remain unknown and unrecognized and accept whatever pleasure exists in that anonymity long after this episode is forgotten.
It’s an upsetting and costly episode, but it’s hardly a permanent injury to the town or its residents.