The Worst Person(s) in Rhode Island

Kevin Aherne

To the individual(s) responsible for heartlessly vandalizing the imPOSSible Dream playground in Warwick, I hereby dub thee: The Worst Person(s) Alive in the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. 

The imPossible Dream Playground is Rhode Island’s first integrated playground.  It offers an environment that is play friendly for children of all physical abilities. The playground is filled with swings, slides, see saws, sand boxes, fantasy play houses, miniature golf, an activity center, picnic areas, and accessible rest rooms.

That playground was forced to close this week after vandals caused more than $5,000 in damage by overturning structures, destroying benches, smashing windows, and crushing toys.  The playground has no video surveillance equipment, and currently, the police have no suspects. 

LAST NIGHT SOMEONE BROKE INTO AND VANDALIZED OUR SPECIAL PLAYGROUND. WE WILL BE CLOSED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. THERE ARE...

Posted by The imPOSSIBLE Dream on Thursday, August 13, 2015

That playground was forced to close this week after vandals caused more than $5,000 in damage by overturning structures, destroying benches, smashing windows, and crushing toys.  The playground has no video surveillance equipment, and currently, the police have no suspects. 

While the community-at-large has responded with generosity, and donations have begun to flood in to help support the reconstruction, no date has been set for the completion of repairs, but the park is scheduled to be reopened on Statuday, according to a social media post from the imPOSSIBLE Dream organization:

Thank you to each and everyone who offered to help in the playground. We will begin with a clean-up [Friday] at noon time. If you can be here we would really appreciate it. Our goal is to be able to open on Saturday morning. The repairs will not be done, our goal is to make the playground safe for play. As of yet, we do not have a $ amount for the replacement/repairs. Thank you to all who have generously donated through PayPal. Words cannot express who wonderful it is to know that so many people care about the imPOSSIBLE DREAM.

The issue at hand, however, is not the cost of cleanup and restoration. Nor is it the number of days children will have to wait in order to enjoy this great open space, it is about the individuals who feel their personal needs outweigh those of the community as a whole. People -- as a whole -- are selfish, and rarely consider how their actions can incubate negative life experiences within their own community.   This is an issue far more wide-reaching than a vandalized suburban playground.  We see it everyday with graffiti (yes, there is street art, and there is graffiti, there is a difference, and it doesn't take an art history major to tell the difference.)  We see it with bullying (children and adults), with drunk driving, with littering, or even within our daily commutes. 

But enough about society's flaws, the issue at hand are the terrible person or people who took it upon themselves to ruin a beautiful thing -- the  worst person(s) causing heartache and adversity to some of the best people in this state. 

It doesn't matter who you are. It doesn't matter why you did this. It doesn't matter if you're 44 of 14 years old. All that matters is that your "harmless prank," your "just having a little fun" has real world significance. And those who will suffer the consequences are children, specifically children who have been marginalized in many ares of our society, children who's greatest summer joy came from riding the swings that you so callously destroyed, or from playing in the sandboxes you recklessly overturned, by playing mini-golf on the course you desecrated.  

Please know that you are the worst person in the state, and that you will remain a terrible person until you come to terms with what you have done. 

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