Why do people destroy things?

This is a non-sewing post; sorry.

We have a feature at the end of our driveway called "Sword in the Stone." We had it made by a local artist shortly after we moved into our house, and it's been a part of the property ever since.


Yes, that's a real sword, and it's embedded (and securely epoxied!) into a real stone that weighs nearly half a ton.

This morning I went out to get the paper and was greeted by this:


Someone went to great pains to upend the main rock and shift around the others (Note: yes, the sword is missing its handle too; that was previously lost to weathering).
Fortunately, we can set the rock back upright and make it look pretty again. But the thought of someone choosing to damage a piece of art just burns me up.
Sorry for the vent, but does anyone have any clue what makes people do things like this? Besides an excess of alcohol and stupidity?

Comments

  1. Oh Welmoed, how sad.
    I'm sure there are many others around you who enjoyed the fun and whimsy of this artwork and who are now also sad to see it destroyed.
    One thing to hope for....Karma

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  2. I agree with Dale: the fun and whimsy is fantastic. I hope you are able to keep fun and whimsy in your life. Don't let vandals destroy you. Sending good wishes.

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  3. Unfortunately, the area around you has grown and has swelled with the general public. There are going to be certain number of people who just cannot let things alone. These are the same people who spray paint monuments and tip over trash in the parks. Usually, they seem to be young.
    You are so much more exposed now. Your private property must seem mysterious and enticing to the young ones.
    And, a sword in a stone? How much more intriguing can it be? They, apparently, are not going to be receiving of whatever grace it bestows upon one to remove the sword.
    I am sorry for this transgression upon you and hope that the offender grows up finds this recorded in their "Things That I Regret Doing, and Am Ashamed of Now" journal. Unfortunately, most of have a few entries in that book.

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  4. I am appalled! They must have quite the nerve to stand on your property and do damage without the fear of being seen. I hope you get this into the local newspapers. Soon you will find the culprits.

    There is a new house that I pass by on my way to the supermarket. The owners have been placing sitting lions on pillars at the entrance to their driveway. Vandals were constantly destroying them. Eventually, the owners gave up and now have the lions closer to their front door. Who does things like that?

    And Welmoed, you can vent all you want.
    Heather

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  5. Sorry that happened to you. How fun to have a sword in a stone!

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  6. Well, I am sorry to see that your 'sculpture' was destroyed, I was looking on the Internte for an answer as to why (in a village in the Italian hills) someone - presumably local youths - felt the need to remove a terracotta cat (10 inches long)from my windowsill and throw it to the ground and I came across your post.
    The cat in question was a gift from a friend who is no longer with me and simply sat among my plants on the ground floor windowsill. It was not particularly evident, or valuable.
    Two children who recognised it as mine brought the fragments to my door, saying 'we found this in the square at the top of the village, and we now it was yours'.

    The fact is that, in modern society, anything decorative, attractive, unusual seems considered 'fair game' for vandals.

    What should we do? Stop making public and private spaces attractive? Should we give in to these mindless idiots?

    Personally, I am going to glue the pieces of my cat back together and then I will glue him to the windowsill! If I could, I would make sure that 'he' gave a strong electric shock to the next idiot that tried this trick!




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