Police Launch Manhunt for Guilty Party Who Stuck Googly Eyes on Historic Monument
Pranks and practical jokes are generally divisive, in the sense that they identify who has an odd sense of humor and who does not. Some people seem unable to keep themselves from messing with other people, and some people seem unable to recognize when they are being messed with.
There are plenty of videos of pranks online, and some people gain followings and internet fame solely based on their filmed shenanigans.
But there are times when people cross the line, when funny and edgy goes too far and crosses the line into cruel, mean-spirited, or just plain wrong.
This incident is one of those cases in some people’s eyes. On Thursday morning, locals who passed through Johnson Square in Savannah, Georgia, were met with an alarming sight.
It alarmed someone so severely that they called the cops to investigate. When the police got to the square, they beheld the travesty with their own eyes.
Someone had stuck googly eyes, reminiscent of kindergarten craft time, onto the eyes of the Nathanael Greene right at the base of the monument. He looked like he’d witnessed some horrifying crime and couldn’t unsee it.
The City of Savannah Government took to Facebook to spread the news and try to get the public to help them find the perp. Unfortunately for the justice-seekers, the post seems to have had the opposite effect.
“Who did this?!” the city wrote in their post. “Someone placed googly eyes on our historic #NathanaelGreene statue in #JohnsonSquare. It may look funny but harming our historic monuments and public property is no laughing matter, in fact, it’s a crime.”
“We are hoping to find the person responsible! If you have information, please call Savannah Police Department.”
It seems unlikely that most craft-time adhesives would have serious lasting damage on a monument that’s been exposed to the elements since 1830, but others have pointed out that the prank was still disrespectful. However, the earnest tone of the request has received little but eye-rolling and tongue-in-cheek commentary.
“Dearest Catherine,” wrote one commenter, “The battle has been raging all day in the distance and I am unable to ascertain whether any thing has been gained or not. O how I long for this war to end. How I long for peace. How will I hail the day when I return to the bosom of my family. My Dear I hope to see you with my googely eyes.”
“Can y’all get with Facebook and create a ‘Mark yourself safe during the googly eyed bandit crime spree,'” ribbed another. “I have family down there and I’m worried.”
“So I’m not a part of this community or anything, but you guys do realize you just dared your entire city to googly eyes all of your monuments right?” chimed in one sensible Facebook denizen. “Just pick the eyes off and move on.”
“Who is Nathaniel Greene?” a punster remarked. “Never mind. I’ll Googly him.”
Others still commented with photos of other statues that have received similar treatment, especially a statue in Glasgow that seems to garner lots of traffic cone hats — the more, the merrier.
Despite the sarcastic commentary this post has invited, the police have issued a trespassing report, as the monument was behind a fence, and they have stated their intentions to get a hold of the security camera footage, according to WNCT 9.
Which camp do you fall into: Do you find this amusing or disrespectful?
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