With recent incidents of car keying occurring in the parking lot a common question is being raised: “do we need traffic cameras at Liberty?” The answer is yes: there should be no doubts in any student’s mind that while their vehicle is parked on campus it will be safe from any damage caused by the others around them.

Yes, we do need traffic cameras. However, the question we should be asking is: “should we need traffic cameras at Liberty?” That answer takes a very different stance: no. Although there is a need for surveillance of the parking lot, there shouldn’t be.

Students need a form of protection in order to ensure that their property won’t be damaged—but at the same time vandalism should not be occurring at the school in the first place. The entire idea of heightened security at Liberty is a testament to a decline in morality that has occurred.

There is a mutual respect that develops between others and this extends to the treatment of personal property. This respect is what dictates the actions of people—including vandalism—and this respect also is what keeps vandalism from happening.

Sadly, the respect between people and property is diminishing; seen with the keying of vehicles and the necessitation of traffic security cameras.

Lack of respect is where the problem arises. If everyone were to make the right choice—the moral choice—and respect the others around them then there would be no issue. However, this isn’t the case.

In times before, people could go about the day without concern of such issues like damage to personal property, but apparently times have changed. Morality has diminished, respect has diminished, and the entire concept of “treat people how you’d like to be treated” has diminished.

Without these concepts trust has diminished. Respect and morality are all vital to trusting one another, and clearly this mutual respect has been violated when disrespectful acts occur. The moral decision is what kept acts like vandalism from occurring in the past, and with a leap in this morality there is a loss of trust towards people, and a loss of respect towards both people and personal objects.

With this in mind we ask: “what will correct the problem at hand?” Unfortunately, this can’t be solved. Morality is a personal decision: one that cannot be made for anyone. The concepts are present, but the choice to be moral is the decision of each individual, and a decision that cannot be dictated.

The only solution to such action is an outside answer: security cameras at Liberty. Hard evidence caught on tape seems to be the only solution to vandalism because the people involved are held accountable.

It’s sad to say morality goes by the wayside, and that someone or something watching over everybody’s shoulder is the solution to vandalism at hand; however, if we aren’t mindful of the others around us then the only effective solution is traffic security cameras at Liberty.