Monday, 7/2

Stop it. Just stop it.

I was walking through downtown Marquette yesterday morning to grab a Sunday paper when I noticed police tape up by Phil's statue in the pocket park. As I looked around I saw that someone had tried to remove his hat again--

They didn't get as far as the idiot who stole it back in March, but from the looks of it it wasn't for a lack of trying. Someone, once again, has tried to damage a nice thing the residents of Marquette put up inn honor of one of the finest people who we ever had the chance to meet.

Idiot(s).

Last time this happened, the perpetrator was caught by security cameras outside of the 906 Sports Bar, cameras that look right into the park. Hopefully, that'll happen again this time, and hopefully, that person will be brought to justice, as well. And maybe the signs that say the statue is under surveillance by cameras should be enlarged, so that anyone stupid and/or drunk enough to attempt it again will be aware that they'll probably be caught.

Of course, they're idiots, so maybe not. But we should at least try.

The sad thing about the whole affair was that the previous afternoon, Saturday afternoon, Loraine and I walked past the statue and noticed a family of tourists getting their picture taken with Phil, smiling all the time and reading the plaque that tells the story of who he was. The statue made an impression on them, and became a part of the memories they'll take away from their visit. I'm kind of hoping they don't find out what happened to the statue, so that they'll think we're a community that honors its people, instead of a place that trashes anything we can get our hands on.

Sigh.

As our world seemingly crumbles around us sometimes we have to take joy in the little things in life, such as Phil's statue and the feeling of community it brings forth. To have someone repeatedly try to destroy it is not who we are, or at least not who we should aspire to be. We should honor the people who make Marquette such a great place to live, and show a little respect for the memorials put up in their name. But no...put a little alcohol (or whatever) in some people, and look what happens.

That's why we can't have nice things any more, I guess.

I don't know what the answer is. I don't know what more we can do to keep the statue safe, other than put it indoors. But that defeats the purpose of it. The statue of Phil sits in the one place he loved more than any other. To move it somewhere else just removes the reason for it being there.

But thanks to idiots, that may be the only thing we can do.

(jim@wmqt.com)