Spoil the dino, spare the rod

First, the good news: last night's meeting held out some positive vibes on the future prospects for the much-beloved, not-called-a-brontosaurus-anymore dinosaur so rudely beheaded as an apparent high school prank.

NBC 17 and a resident in attendance reported that the Museum of Life and Science (on whose onetime dinosaur trail the decades-old relic stands) has had an engineer assess the North-South Greenway fixture, finding it reparable -- if money were available.

A number of residents, including the son of its creator, reminisced on their personal histories with the bronto, which has been memorialized in everything from Flickr photostreams to local rock songs. (One suggestion for a name: "Sinclair," after the logo of the old chain of gas stations by the same name.)

An open question is how to fund the restoration, a matter that it seems both the museum and residents will ponder. One attaboy to a great local company: Bronto Software, the Durham-based email marketing startup helmed by Trinity Park's Joe Colopy, has pledged $2,000 to kick off the fundraising for any repairs.

...

Aside from the desire to repair the statue, there's been another desire expressed widely on listservs 'round town in recent days -- the question of what fate should befall the apparent teenagers who vandalized this piece of Durham memorabilia so important to so many.

There's been a sense of outrage over the fact that the Museum has expressed a desire to avoid pressing charges in exchange for what's said to be a very substantial volunteer commitment from the persons involved.

And while that's quelled some of the anger over the matter (and some of the calls for criminal charges to be pressed against the perps), it hasn't sent away calls for those who committed the act to be publicly identified and named, perhaps as part of making an apology for the act.

Count me unconvinced.

Not that there isn't a good argument to be made for identifying those responsible. After all, an apology means less if you get to make it anonymously, some would say. And doesn't the community deserve accountability from those who committed the act?

But I start somewhere different on this.

If there's one message I hear over and over again about the challenges of those who become caught up in a much more serious side of Bull City justice -- the justice system itself -- it's how tarring the stigma is of past misdeeds on those who are convicted and complete serving their sentence.

Doors close for jobs, education, relationships. It's a permanent mark that drastically influences the possible directions of the lives of some young adults convicted of crimes.

It's one of the reasons why juvenile criminal records are generally sealed.

Of course, this is a far different thing, particularly if the Museum does not press charges and community service is the only outcome. Would not then a public apology from named individuals make sense?

I'm still not sure. To my mind, if the individuals who commit the act are required to serve intensive community service -- and from what we're hearing, it'd be pretty damn intensive -- then there's a chance that they may experience something beneficial that goes well beyond a chance to reflect on the act that brought such an end.

My hope would be that they'd get to see, day in and day out, the joy and wonder that the Museum brings to those children who go there. From the train to the Butterfly House to the myriad other exhibits, it's a true Durham treasure.

Just like the bronto.

And to the extent that outrage occurred over the act these teens committed, it seems to me to have been because the community appreciated and treasured that worn, aging, faded, beautiful dinosaur statue far more than the perpetrators did.

Call me naïve, but I hold out hope that any time these youth would spend in relative anonymity around and among the wonder of the Museum might give them a new appreciation for just why what they did mattered so much to so many people.

If a few more people can learn the gift of understanding, then some good might come out of this whole sordid tale after all.

Comments

[Jonathan Jones]

I'm sorry Kevin, but I just don't buy the argument that people who commit crimes deserve anonymity.

The museum has negotiated an out-of-court punishment for the perpetrators, and that's well and good. They will avoid the criminal record that does make opportunities later in life more difficult. Not pressing charges is the museum's decision and that's their right as the owner of the dinosaur.

But the museum is not the only victim here. It may be the only one with legal standing, but many in the community and particularly in the neighborhoods around the dinosaur, feel victimized by the damage done to a community landmark.

Also, there is no reason to withhold the names. They should be contained on the police incident report -- even if there is no arrest report or charging document -- created when the head was recovered. If they're not, there is an open government fight to be had there.

And we're not likely talking about "juveniles" in the eyes of the law, who do get the benefit of government secrecy. Given that a vehicle of some sort was used to haul the head off, at least one member of the group likely had a drivers license. In North Carolina, 16-year-olds who commit crimes are adults.

All the benefits of community service you describe can still happen without anonymity. And I believe the community at large deserves an apology if those who committed this act are to get off with only a slap on the wrist.

[fred fesel]

their families should pay for the repairs or they should be prosecuted. period

[B]

Great post, Kevin.

Actually, I think as a general principle, direct restitution to the victims of (non-violent) property crime makes a hell of a lot more sense than incarceration (or even criminal prosecution), for a variety of reasons. Not the least of which is that putting people in cages is something that we really should reserve for people that we are afraid of, not people we are merely pissed off at.

[barry]

Here's an opportunity for an interesting social experiment. Give the kids (an assumption, sure, but according to everything i'm hearing, this was a "graduation prank.") in Durham non-legal-system mandated community service. Then monitor their future behavior for a dozen years or so.

Compare with the future behavior of these two young men in Kentucky:
"Nicholas A. Brainard, who is 21, and 19-year-old David A. Gialdini were sentenced Monday to 45 days in jail and two years of probation on their guilty pleas to stealing a baby Jesus from a Somerset family's Nativity scene in December.

Police found the statue, other stolen Christmas decorations and a street sign in the men's apartment. They were charged with misdemeanors _ theft and receiving stolen property.

Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney David Dalton said first-time theft charges often won't result in jail time.

But he added in a news release, "These are tough times, and parents shouldn't have to explain to children why someone would steal 'baby Jesus' out of a Nativity scene or rip decorations from the side of the house. It was a stupid stunt and deserved some jail time.""

http://tinyurl.com/ng4nyf

See if there's any difference in brushes with the law in the future between the kids who got jail time for their vandalism and the kids who avoided the legal system.

I don't really see the benefits of prosecution, myself, especially considering that the DA's office would probably see this as a very low priority case, but i'm not thrilled by the anonymity aspect.

[Free Email Marketing Software]

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[Ian Malcolm]

We're talking about the theft of a dinosaur head here right?

[Tar Heelz]

I sit here shocked that somehow these jokers got off without charges yet the property owners are calling neighborhood meetings to solicit dinosaur repair funds.

What in the wide, wide world of sports is going on here? No criminal record? Sure. Cough up the dough as restitution for your crime. (How would that happen? Defendants work out a plea deal with the DA. No criminal record in exchange for restitution and community service.)

As a long-time member of the Museum, I wrote my letter to the Museum's board suggesting (demanding?) something along these lines. Unfortunately, the Museum seems to have forgotten its duty to the taxpayers and members who support it.

[Todd P]

I have to agree with the sentiment here that "no charges" should be accompanied by "full restitution".

It is absurd for the museum to solicit repair funds from supporters when the culprits have been identified. Make them pay for the repairs in full if they want to avoid charges and keep their names out of the paper.

[Nogui]

I'm glad almost everyone here is for resitiution and admission of the crimes in leiu of jail time. We were all there once. No need to ruin the young mens' lives over a prank - even if it was a non violent criminal act.

[TSQ75]

I agree with restitution in lieu of jail time...

but my quandry is restitution to what? to restore the head to its previous decrepit state?

as i see it there are 2 separate issues here:

the kids making up for what they did

and the restoration of a durham relic.

you cant honestly say one can resolve the other. it's decapitation might end up being the best thing that ever happened to the awesome and decrepit dinosaur.

the kids and their parents cant rightfully pay for restoring dino to its vintage glory...but maybe this was the kick in the ass the museum needed to actually get the ball rolling on its restoration. otherwise it would still be moldering away back there, while the owners ignored it.

the kids should do some sort of community service, i think its fine if they do it for the museum

[Rebekah]

I raised the point of restitution, if not heavily supervised rebuilding, at the meeting last night.

The latter is fraught with insurance/liability issues, however Julie Rigby, the NCMLS VP for External Relations, assured us that hardcore service by the young people at the Museum was in the works.

Still, regarding the former, my feeling was along the lines of some of the posters here: that soliciting reno funds from good-hearted community members seems premature...that the vandals' should pay the cost (and then some) first. Rigby, however, probably knows a bit more about the realities of their abilities to make restitution...maybe the miscreants and their families don't have realistic means. I don't know.

Also, I believe the monies proffered (a $1K pledge from a NCMLS benefactor, according to Rigby, and the $2K from Bronto Software, according to its founder/CEO Joe Colopy) for restoration were somewhat contingent as challenge grants.

Small groups at last night's meeting brainstormed ways and means of restoring and protecting the Bronto. As it was the initial "official" meeting, ideas are still quite rough and preliminary, but it's a start!

[This is your mother calling]

What is wrong with the parents here?!?! If these were my kids, I would be marching him/her down to the neighborhood meeting by the ear to apologize in person, offering odd job services to start paying back the damages, etc. Whatever happened to taking responsibility for his/her action and parents making sure that it happens. Hello-o, parents?!?! Get a clue here?!?! This is a teachable moment!!! We all make mistakes...it is how we respond after realizing the mistake that makes us a true and honorable gentleman or lady.

[jon]

I'm willing to give the museum the benefit of the doubt that if these were youths of any significant means, they would be asking for money as part of their penance. Likely there are not. Should their families have to declare bankruptcy? Be thrown in debtors prisons? Come on...

So the question becomes, does the community like the bronto enough to pay for its repair or not. If you think so, pitch in. If you don't, don't.

[Philip]

Are we all so passionate about everything that we can't let anything go?