Hard to find good in swastikas at cemetery, but there was some

Drunk teens toppling or defacing tombstones: Abhorrent, but also no surprise for an age when impulse control is weak.

But for a 34-year-old man to spray paint swastikas onto 200 grave markers at a Glen Carbon cemetery, just before Memorial Day, is hard to fathom.

He was caught on a surveillance camera. His history of violence and mental illness come as no surprise.

Timothy V. McLean's criminal past includes drugs, attacking a police officer, attacking his family and a year confined for criminal mental health reasons. He was charged with a hate crime for painting swastikas all over the cemetery near his parents' home, as well as houses and cars. He also is suspected of defacing churches.

There is a reason the twisted cross is used by those with twisted political ideas. It is the opposite of the symbol for peace used in some Asian and native American cultures, and it is the symbol of the most successful terrorists in the history of the world.

We doubt McLean put a lot of deep thought or conviction into painting all those stones honoring veterans, grandparents and the people who built our communities. He didn't even put in the effort to paint the symbols properly, but lazily painted curves instead of the sharp angles of Nazi Germany.

Too bad McLean can't be made to clean up his own mess and then some. He is likely headed for confinement, his mental illness manifesting itself so prominently that he will not again plague the community for a long time.

But as in any tragedy or evil event, the good people emerge. Thanks to the scores of people who came out to Sunset Hill Cemetery to clean the grave markers of the veterans and others in time for Memorial Day.

Silver linings exist, even in acts of extreme stupidity, insanity and hate.

This story was originally published May 29, 2018 at 3:16 PM with the headline "Hard to find good in swastikas at cemetery, but there was some."