Respect, or the lack thereof, seems to be a theme that has carried throughout the past week. Last week we talked about how U.S. Senator Joe Manchin lectured some of our disrespectful youth on this quality. Now this week we have an even worse incident of disrespect to report.

When the news of two young men plucking flags from the Field of Flags, a memorial to fallen service personnel currently located in New Martinsville, circulated, the reaction was nothing less than disgust.

How could anyone desecrate something to memorialize those who gave their all for the freedoms this country provides?

Most of us can’t understand what those young men could possibly have been thinking, but we can assure you that they were not thinking of giving their lives to the cause. They were not thinking of being in the hot desert sand with a weapon. They were not wondering if a guerrilla’s sniper fire would take their lives. No, they were only thinking of getting a cheap thrill from doing something that was against the rules. We’re sure they didn’t even realize that the people those flags represented fought for freedoms to protest against government actions, practice any religion freely, or speak their mind. The soldiers did not, however, fight for them to have the right to destroy someone else’s property.

We thank the New Martinsville Police Department for their proactive actions and quick response when an incident did happen. We hope they will press charges against the alleged perpetrators. After all, law enforcement officers, like soldiers, also work to preserve freedoms.