by Spirit Eagle

Last week my partner and I were the targets of a vicious act of vandalism by young boys in Lavender Hollow.

They dumped salt on our garden and killed many plants; half to two-thirds are dead or dying; they dumped salt onto two hanging baskets of flowers, killing those also.

This garden has been here for four years. It has given me great joy and I know that those who regularly walk the path to town as well as tourists walking the path from the airport have been lifted up by the beauty of the flowers too! This senseless destruction of a small part of Mother Earth grieves me to the depths of my being. These plants were burned by the salt – many died, others are slowly dying, becoming dehydrated, painfully, I’m sure.

Two weeks before, a couple of boys put a bagful of dog feces at our front door. The Sheriff was called and a Deputy brought one of the boys to our house to apologize.

What causes a child to destroy other life forms? What is at work in acts of violence against living things? Many people excuse it with the old adage, “Boys will be boys.”

Orcas has all of the social problems that the mainland does, albeit, in smaller numbers. We have single moms struggling to make ends meet and care for their children. We have totally disengaged fathers who seem to think creating babies is their main function, not lovingly raising them!

We have meth-addicted and other-drug addicted fathers and mothers. And parents who don’t know how to parent children because they never had proper parenting themselves. We have domestic abuse, sexual abuse, and child abuse in all of its ugly forms: emotional, mental, physical, and sexual.

I urge anyone who is having communication and/or acting-out problems with their children to seek help right away. Sliding scale family counseling is available on Orcas. Help is also available for those with alcohol, and drug addictions (AA and NA). There is also help at local churches and Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Services.

I know that there are women and men out there who can be wonderful role models for the troubled youth on Orcas. I know that the children will give them a sense of satisfaction that they are making the world a better place, one child, one family at a time. Please let us come together and help the children who are the future!

Spirit Eagle lives on Orcas Island.