Missing flag, missing fun

Now again I have witnessed what I loathe most about my peers. This weekend, in what was presumably an act of inebriation, the American flag that I proudly display at my residence was purloined. \nIn my life, there has not been a day I can remember when I have returned to my house and not seen the flag flown. And now, more than ever, the American flag is a justifiably prominent symbol of patriotism. While our country is engaged in war to protect and promote the very essence of what the flag represents, I find it appalling that my peers would infringe on my freedom to express my love for freedom. \nThis incident strikes such strong chords of anger in me only because it has followed a series of incidents that I deem to be deplorable. Just a month ago my first flag was stolen. A week ago my friend's car was lifted by meatheads who thought the car should be in the grass, rather than in their parking lot. Last night I watched our local law enforcement tackle a young man after he had exchanged blows with another young man in the middle of the street. \nI realize that the aforementioned incidents all fall in the wake of IU gaining "biggest party school in the nation" status. But as the American Heritage Dictionary tells us, the word "party" is defined as "a social gathering especially for pleasure or amusement." Neither stealing, nor defacing, nor fighting is an act engaged in to promote pleasure or amusement. \nI can propose many means by which to seek pleasure or amusement, but rather than offering my suggestions, I will draw upon one real experience where I witnessed humor at its best. \nI returned to my house after spending the day tailgating to find a tree in my bedroom. This practical joke was hilarious, costing me only the time to remove the tree from my room, and, of course, prompting retaliation. So I did what every normal person would do. I snuck into the instigator's house and turned everything from small candles to large furniture upside-down. She and I both benefited from my practical joke. We both benefited through laughter, and I benefited further when she bought me lunch as a sign of gratitude for me aiding the clean up process. I suspect that she will benefit with further laughter when she reads this and realizes I am the culprit. \nMy point is, that in this microcosm of academia in which we all reside, one would hope that we are capable of engaging in intelligently devised forms of entertainment. But based on the actions of some of my contemporaries, I feel that such a hope is futile. Now, more than ever, I realize that some of my peers, in their recent gain of independence have paradoxically revealed their innate atavism by exhibiting traits characteristic of a small child.\nMy only other concern pertains to the missing flags. My hope is that, on both occasions, the flags were taken by underprivileged members of the community who wished to display a flag at their own home but lacked the funds to purchase a flag. Perhaps my flags are being proudly displayed, but I fear this is yet another futile hope.