Desecration of war memorials.

Many people are outraged at the senseless desecration of war memorials which has been happening with increasing regularity in recent times. To some extent, this can be attributed to opposition to our involvement in the Iraq war. Some people see a relationship between a memorial to past dead and the present fighting - and attack cenotaphs because they consider them a monument to war.
The perpetrators seem to be a mixed bunch - and in one recent incident the attack was carried out by a group of teenage girls. In another, a group of teenagers of Turkish descent seemed intent of continuing the 1914-18 war. Quite often the damage has nothing to do with opposition to war or the feelings of ethnic members of our community - but is purely the drunken rampage of bored young people with nothing better to do with their time.
Unfortunately war memorials are sitting ducks for such damage. They are usually in town centres which are deserted at night - and when the pubs close and disgorge large numbers of young people it only takes a suggestion from a gang leader to set off the group mentality that takes control.
Penalties have been increased - and it seems certain that they will be increased again - but to little effect. Very few of these incidents would occur by way of a group of sane young people sitting down and discussing the coming nights activities soberly - and deciding to go and damage a war memorial.
It becomes a spur of the moment thing - usually fuelled by alcohol. There is no answer - but we can only hope that when these young people eventually grow up they will be ashamed to remember the stupidity of their actions !