Vandalism as mourning (editorial)

Sept 11 Museum
Some panels inside the National September 11 Memorial Museum that list victims have been defaced by visitors scratching personal messages. (AP photo)
Staten Island Advance Editorial By Staten Island Advance Editorial Staten Island Advance
on May 28, 2014 at 5:00 PM, updated May 28, 2014 at 5:05 PM

Expressions of grief, once mostly a private affair behind closed doors among family and friends of the deceased, have increasingly become public exhibitions. Witness all the utility poles and guardrails festooned with shrines of flowers and stuffed animals for vehicular accident victims.

    It's gotten so that it seems many people don't feel their mourning is sufficient or validated until it has been made into a display the public can't help but see.

    Now comes the latest push of the envelope in this direction, and we have to say it's a somewhat troubling one.

    Port Authority Police and museum staff members report that they are finding personalized messages scratched in some of the 152 bronze panels that list victims at the National September 11 Memorial Museum.

    When public property is so defaced, such as subways and ferryboats, it's called "scratchiti," and it's considered vandalism â a violation of the law. So is this ... technically.

    The damaged plaques are quickly attended to by museum staff members who restore them to the point where the scratches are nearly invisible.

    P.A. officers file criminal mischief reports on the marred plaques â some 40 have been damaged so far â but have not yet arrested anyone. As of right now, they're not even trying to identify the culprits, although there are plenty of security cameras in the area.

    It's not hard to understand why museum officials are letting it slide.

    "Can you imagine the conflict a cop would feel about having to bust someone for leaving a personal message to honor a dead relative who was murdered at Ground Zero?" a law-enforcement source asked the New York Post.

    These markings are not at all a matter of vanity or some vandal spreading his tag far and wide, as with most graffiti. No, most are heartfelt expressions of love and mourning.

    That said, the people who do this are still defacing a memorial that belongs to everyone. Their handiwork disrespects others.

    There are a lot of other ways to express love and grief. Scratching things on a solemn memorial should not be one of them.