When I was a little boy my grandmother would tell me stories of her youth.  Obviously, her experiences were very different than mine. As a child growing up in the Depression things were not easy and her family, like those around hers, struggled for everything they had. 

One of the stories she told me centered around her Mom and Dad, my great-grandparents. My great-grandmother was a kind woman who would offer up whatever she had if asked. My great-grandfather was kind but realistic. He knew that if you encouraged a behavior you would get more of it. 

This dichotomy was borne out time and again. When he would come home from a long day at work, he would look at the fence outside their house on Jordan Avenue. Often, he would see several small marks on the fence. Marks left by people referred to as hobos who live out behind what is now Edwards Field. As my grandmother would recall, this drove her father crazy. 

Those marks were a signal to other people traveling the rails that the house behind those marks was a place where food or water or other goods could be obtained. Remember, during the Depression those goods were hard to come by even for those who had a job. 

As quickly as those marks appeared, they would be removed by my great-grandfather. And the next day my great-grandmother would be right back to offering up the next wayward traveler a meal or something to drink or something more. It went on like this for a while, but the idea of not encouraging a behavior and enforcing a standard stuck with me. 

Imagine if a standard or a law had been enforced with regards to Volodymyr Zhukovskyy. He was the driver who allegedly ran over seven motorcyclists in New Hampshire and killed them.  In the weeks since he allegedly committed these crimes, much has been learned about his lack of driving acumen. It has been reported that he has had driving infractions in Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Even as far away as Texas. 

Those seven riders could have been you; they could have been me. They could have been a loved one whose only problem that warm Friday night was being in the wrong place at the wrong time while a lousy driver was headed their way.   

Had the proper authorities done their due diligence this man might have been off of the road and those seven motorcyclists would still be cruising the Granite State. Instead of enforcing the standards that are in each state, the state failed to protect these individuals. 

Closer to home, the case of the now–convicted John Williams reads like a broken record.  Williams was convicted earlier this year of killing Cpl. Eugene Cole after having gotten a light bail for serious charges in Massachusetts. Once Williams was out, he was free to continue his drug-addled ways leading up to that fateful night where he executed the Deputy Sherriff.   

Once again, standards were not upheld, and someone paid the ultimate price. 

Just a bit north in Bath we have seen standards not being enforced. Back in April, 25 senior citizens were arrested for interrupting traffic around Bath Iron Works. These rapscallions blocked traffic and prevented busses from moving. What was their sentence for this caper? The District Attorney for Sagadahoc County declined to prosecute anyone of those arrested.   

Anyone want to hazard a guess as to what will happen with the new crop of protestor who were arrested for once again, blocking traffic and causing mayhem around the shipyard back in June?  Twenty-two people were arrested for blocking a public way. If I had to put money down on a bet, I would say that these twenty-two will be let go with a pat on the back and an apology for disrupting their protest. 

I understand the right to protest but get out of the road 

If we are going to have a law or a standard, then why not enforce it. If the government is going to talk tough on crime, then let those who are committing the crimes pay a steep enough penalty that it causes them to think twice about doing something again. The revolving door of slaps on the wrist breed more incidents where an infraction will take place, sometimes with a worst result than the first one.   

If you don’t remove the marks from the fence today more will show up tomorrow. 

Jonathan Crimmins can be reached at [email protected]