Missed the Crime and the Punishment

Did not glance at one paper from the Sandbox for an entire month except to read one article from Arab News last week when DH pointed it out to me, about the gang of yutes" who went on a rampage downtown vandalizing and destroying property for a variety of no good reasons. It is still news today because on Monday a dozen of the "yutes" involved were publicly flogged. The near-riot took place last Wednesday night, which is the equivalent of Friday night in the States - the beginning of the weekend. [Saudi Arabia is one of the only countries in the middle east that still uses Thursday and Friday as their weekend - quite a few countries over on this side of the world use Friday and Saturday as their weekend.] That particular day, September 23rd, a Wednesday, coincidentally, was also "National Day. These were not just kids that went on a rampage but young men - adult men - who certainly should know better insofar as what is right and what is wrong. It is interesting, to me, that society is being blamed, though, instead of making the young men reponsible for their actions. The same excuses are used in the States in inner cities where crime is rampant: "We need to allow more space for the youth in terms of sports clubs, movie theaters and recreation facilities." Always someone else's fault. And, that, in my opinion, is why there are so many problems in the world. No personal responsibility. Whatever. The matter is not over - not resolved. Depending on which report you read there were either 80 or 100 men involved in the rampage but only twelve were punished a couple of days ago. They were the ones who "confessed." Others will be punished in the coming days. The businesses involved, have reported millions of riyals of damage caused or goods stolen.