Remember when your mom bought you that gift that was really nice? Remember when the gift was something she went out of the way to get, something probably a little nicer than you deserved? And, remember you came back with that gift a day or two later all torn up, marked up, beat up or destroyed?

She would look at you and say something along the lines of, “I am never going to get you anything nice again, if this is the way you’re going to treat what I give you.”

That is the feeling some may have had when they walked in the press box at Memorial Stadium and saw two holes staring them in the face. While they look like bullet holes, one pane of the double-paned window, was pierced by a shot from a pellet gun.

While these have been there for a number of years, this type of petty vandalism should not only not exist, but it should not be stood for.

After all the taxpayer money that has been spent on facilities such as Memorial Stadium, like new locker rooms, new track, upgraded press box and bathroom facilities and repaired seating, and to other parks and facilities around the city, it is a shame someone would think it a good idea to destroy what has been given.

While these holes are not new, and is likely too expensive to fix at this point, other reports of vandlism are much, much more recent.

In recent weeks, parks and recreation officials have talked about residents stealing fencing from ball fields and parks, destroying areas where children go to play and where youth games are held.

Memorial Stadium — and other parks — attracts thousands upon thousands of visitors each and every year. Whether they are coming to a high school football game hosted by Selma High School or Ellwood Christian Academy, a college game hosted by Concordia College, statewide track events or regional youth baseball and football games, these visitors — in most cases — are getting their first glimpse of Selma and forming their very first opinions of the city many of us are proud to call home.

Selma is fortunate to have a city leadership and personnel focused on the development of youth sports and facilities in our city. This not only provides much needed tax revenues for the city, but gives our chilren a positive outlet for their free time.

These things have been given to us — and in many ways paid for by us. It is time we started acting responsible and taking care of these gifts.