If justice could truly be served, the vandals who destroyed the flags marking the graves of veterans in Riverside Cemetery would spend this Memorial Day learning about the country’s history and the sacrifices that brave men and women have made in the service to the United States.

Word is it was a bunch of kids who destroyed or pilfered more than 90 American flag holders and veteran medallions from the cemetery. One witness reports that he saw them flinging the markers around like toys.

In the best light possible, the crime was one of thoughtlessness. Whoever vandalized the cemetery didn’t consider the act and how it would affect other veterans who maintain the graves of their fallen countrymen.

With Memorial Day fast approaching, the perpetrators need a history lesson. Memorial Day was first celebrated on May 30, 1868, when flowers were placed on the graves of Civil War soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery. After World War I, the holiday was expanded to honor all Americans who had died fighting in any war.

The people who easily walked through Riverside Cemetery, snatching recognition from the dead and showing disrespect for the living, deserve an education. If they are ever caught, and we hope they are, they should be introduced to veterans who have seen the worst of man’s capacity for brutality. They should be made to read the Constitution and Bill of Rights, the principal documents that set the United States apart from the rest of the world. They should be made to realize that the simple act of snatching a flag can rob a person of a small tribute meant to honor service to a cause greater than one’s self.