Vandals Tear Down Yellow Ribbons In Granite Bay For Second Year In A Row
GRANITE BAY (CBS13) — For the second year in a row, a tribute honoring military members has been vandalized as someone tore down yellow ribbons.
Several-dozen volunteers hand-tied yellow ribbons on almost every tree on a 2-mile stretch on Douglas Boulevard just before Thanksgiving.
Now, just over a week before Christmas, someone has taken down more than half of them for the second year in a row.
Patty Schumacher tied one in memory of her son, LCpl. Victor Dew, a Marine who was killed by an improvised explosive device in Afghanistan in 2010.
"For all those families, especially during the holidays that need to have support, it's nice for us at home to see it and for them to know that they are up there," Karen Musso said.
Each one of the ribbons represent a loved one.
But at some point this weekend, someone came and ripped hundreds of the ribbons down.
"It makes my heart sick to think that somebody would do that," said Schumacher.
The honor group says every year they have a six-week permit to tie them around trees on both sides of the roadway and in the median.
"I just can't imagine that someone would be so bold to take ribbons that are for a good purpose," said Musso. "That's really sad."
Schumacher checked with the county to see if they took them down by accident, but they said no. She believes it's most likely someone who is upset with the military, or our country's actions overseas.
"You may not like the wars that are going on on terror, and that's absolutely OK, because that's what they are there for—to protect our freedoms. And you are entitled to have that opinion, thanks to our military," she said.
And she hopes whoever did it will realize what they've done.
"Please know that you have hurt a lot of people, especially the ones whose ribbons were taken down in memory of their child, or their husband, or even their wife," she said.
Schumacher says she and some volunteers will be back this weekend to replace the ribbons. She hopes whoever took them down will show up to help.
