Mistakes happen, but they are still crimes

It is time for me to address an issue that has been very unpopular with a few Mortonites the past few weeks that led to hours on the phone and several e-mail responses.

According to these residents, underage drinking and the reporting of the activity in this newspaper is apparently a “smear tactic” on our part to destroy the lives of youngsters who have made a “common” mistake. According to these readers, by placing illegal consumption offenders’ names in this paper, we are causing emotional harm to these children.

This newspaper’s policy is to print names of anyone arrested in Morton. If your child is caught by police for underage alcohol consumption, their names will be printed in the police reports unless they are younger than 18 years of age. Additionally, if there is more to the story that this editorial staff might consider an added concern, there is a good possibility a story will accompany the police report.

Nobody has to agree with us on this issue. But, understand that underage alcohol consumption is not a newspaper problem. It is not a school problem. It is not a police department problem. It is a problem for the minor and his or her parents, and it is a societal problem. And, I would be willing to bet that most readers will agree with us until the day their child is arrested for said infraction.

The reason we print names, whether in the police reports or in a story, first and foremost, is because it is a matter of public record and involves taxpayers’ money. Secondly, it is to create awareness throughout the community that those individuals were responsible for making a mistake that got them into legal trouble. The reason readers should be aware of these names is to allow guardians or acquaintances to make their own decisions whether they, or their children, should associate with those people.

It is not our intent to write an article based on a police report to pass judgment upon an individual. That is not our job. However, it is not a surprise that some readers will read something and make their own assumptions about an individual. It is human nature.

Far too often, however, readers do look at the police reports and immediately create an opinion about an individual. That is a major mistake and can create additional hostility or emotional harm to an individual.

At the age of 18, I was guilty of drinking underage. I was arrested for the mistake, and I paid the consequences. Incidentally, my name showed up in police reports in that community. Yes, it was embarrassing. But, I understood, and my parents helped me understand, that it is part of the consequences and, hopefully, I learned from that mistake.

I went on to complete my college education, worked as a server at a local restaurant and eventually became the editor of this newspaper. Life goes on.

Mistakes happen. More often than not, it is in our youth that we make the most mistakes and later learn from them. Wisdom does not happen by accident. It comes with life experience. I am happy to make a point that many minors whose names were printed in this paper for an arrest later move on to become successful members of society.

However, when someone calls me to blame the newspaper for creating unnecessary emotional stress upon an individual, all I will say is, “They brought it on themselves.” Once a youngster turns 18, a slew of responsibilities is bestowed upon that person. It is one of the major steps into adulthood, only preceded by acquiring a driver’s license at the age of 16.

In the interest of full disclosure, I am not a parent. I hope to one day be lucky to have children. When I do, I will teach them to take responsibility for their actions. We all must learn to own up to our mistakes. At the same time, we need to remember that they are mistakes, and we are lucky that they became nothing more.

When it comes to underage alcohol consumption, however, it becomes an issue when youths enter the public realm. They can cause harm to others. That is what concerns me, and I know it concerns the police department and coroner’s office as well.