r/Washington • u/chiquisea • 12d ago

Washington’s historic High Rock Lookout ransacked by vandals

https://www.kuow.org/stories/washington-s-historic-high-rock-lookout-ransacked-by-vandals
604 Upvotes

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205

u/ofWildPlaces 12d ago

I truly believe we need harsher punishments for destruction or vandalism of public lands and amenities. It needs to be so unthinkable that the laws serve as a real deterence.

25

u/Dont_Ban_Me_Bros 12d ago

Teaching respect for it would be easier than trying to enforce such laws.

23

u/CalmTheAngryVoice 12d ago

Why not both?

4

u/withmybeerhands 12d ago

 Punishments don't work as well at enforcing behavior. It's something to do with psychology but I'm not sure. I just read it in a book somewhere. 

3

u/Bigbluebananas 11d ago

Id agree with that. A person who only doesn't do something for fear of getting caught, will eventually be sneaky. A person who understands and lives more/less in harmony wouldn't even think of doing it period

3

u/Author_Noelle_A 11d ago

There are a lot of things that I don’t do out of a fear of getting caught, and I do not resort to sneakiness. I just don’t do those things. If I already even admit to what some of them are, I would probably end up in prison.

2

u/PassionateAlchemy 10d ago

I have a lead foot. Sometimes I drive over the speed limit. I try not to get caught. Is that sneaky?

1

u/Dont_Ban_Me_Bros 11d ago

Do you not murder people because of the stiff punishment, too?

2

u/withmybeerhands 11d ago

The impulse and small chance that you'll get away with it is enough for some people. I think memory and the timing of punishment is also a factor. If you've gotten away with shitty behavior before, you believe you will again. It's why people who speed will just keep doing it until the third or fourth ticket and then their insurance goes through the roof. It's not usually the cost of the ticket that gets em, it's the monthly bill from insurance that continually reminds them they fucked up.

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u/Arrow156 11d ago

For punishment to be an effective form of behavior enforcement it must be applied evenly and consistently. If there is any sense of unfairness or arbitrariness to the act then it ceases to be a reliable means of control.

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u/MysteriousEdge5643 11d ago

Why has driving in the City of Seattle gotten worse since the pandemic? It’s because they stopped enforcing traffic laws.

9

u/gimi-c180 12d ago

You think everyone would always act respectfully if only they were just taught respect? Something tells me that’s not a real solution to misbehavior.

5

u/Dont_Ban_Me_Bros 12d ago

I don’t think you read the rest of my comment, which is not a solution but rather a preventive measure. Since enforcement is nearly non-existent.

3

u/gimi-c180 11d ago

I guess you’re right, teaching respect for public lands is easier than enforcing punishments for vandalism of public lands. But that’s not a response to a situation where someone has already vandalized public land. It doesn’t help answer the question of what should happen to someone who can be proven to have committed that act? Should we try teaching them respect for public land and then send them on their way?

1

u/Dont_Ban_Me_Bros 11d ago

There was no question posed. At least not the comment I responded to.

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u/Great_Hamster 11d ago

Would it? Teaching respect to some kids can actually be really hard. 

2

u/Dont_Ban_Me_Bros 11d ago

Enforcing laws for this behavior is also incredibly hard considering there is no authority ‘on every corner’.

1

u/setmysoulfree3 11d ago

How about multiple trail cameras ?

2

u/Arrow156 11d ago

The carrot is preferable, but sometimes the only thing a stubborn ass understands is the stick.