Can’t We Be Civil for Our Children?

To the editor:

On Route 14 (just north of Heartbeet Farm) someone took it upon themselves to spray paint “F*** Biden” on the rock face. It is nearly impossible to miss and has caused me to charge up my drill and wire brush to remove the offensive wording. In doing so I pondered the parents driving by with children in their vehicles and being asked to explain the wording, telling their kids to look away or just rolling their eyes in exasperation at the thought of having to explain one more act of incivility.

To the spray painter: I ask you to consider how you would respond to your child uttering such offensive words at home or in the playground. While I respect a person’s right to free speech, I do not respect incivility and negative discourse. I would really like to hear your thoughts on why your behavior and selection of words are justified. If you would like to discuss your thoughts and reasons for this public display of incivility, I am happy to meet with you.

John Zaber
Craftsbury Common