There is always the fact that military displays, historic graveyards, restored artifacts, fortresses etc,
the list is long, will be defaced by vandals - many, many graveyards in NS, dating back to the early
1700's have been defaced and grave markers very badly damaged - it is a matter of significant
concern, but the solution appears to be somewhat complex. A revised Statute of Canada, the
Criminal Code defines such acts, determines a process of prosecution and determines a punishment,
which is the perogative of a Provincial court. Some impose harsh penalities, some, particularly in the
metro areas do not. Defacement of memoriials, particularly military generated historic monuments
is usually caused by "persons unknown" who are drunk. I do not believe there is any historic
significance to a act of overt vandalism; most who cause such damage have in common a degree
of profound ignorance, which is somewhat helpful when serving time in a NS Provincial goal, for
at least a year or longer. A friend of mine, sadly departed was a Naval Airman who was invalided
out of the Canadian Navy due to polio. He went through law school in his wheel chair, had a successful
law practice, continued to fly (with hand controls for the rudder) and was appointed a Provincial Court
Judge - if you were a vandal, convicted in his court, your fate was sealed. He had, one might say,a
strong sense of right and wrong. MacLeod
