Where is our sense

of common respect?

A mobile dental unit giving free dental checkups by day is egged by night at Amity Elementary School. Political signs are vandalized or swiped in yards around Yamhill County. Thieves steal the license plates, screws and all, from the car of a News-Register reporter while it's parked in Dundee.

Is nothing sacred? Whatever happened to common respect?

Taking a shot at a politician or journalist is common. Those who choose such career paths are often the butt of ridicule and criticism; one expects them to develop tough skin.

But throwing eggs in the face of dentists? Especially ones donating their time to care for local children whose families cannot afford dental care? That would be like booing Santa Claus as he arrives bearing gifts from The Salvation Army.

The Dental Foundation of Oregon's Tooth Taxi visited Amity Elementary all week as part of its 14-city mission to serve 3,000 uninsured kids across the state.

It gave 53 Amity youngsters screenings, which included a dental exam and a fluoride varnish. Those who were found to require further dental work received it, said Mary Daly, program manager.

But Wednesday morning, the Tooth Taxi needed some work on its own grille.

The sticky residue left from egg yolks and shell fragments had to be hosed off the grille and radiator. Vandals had hurled about a half dozen eggs at the shiny new 38-foot tour van.

"It was ugly," Daly said.

But concluding that the Amity incident was the work of "anti-dentites" - Seinfeld fans will get the reference - would be as misguided as local Republicans calling campaign lawn sign thefts a coordinated attack by Obama supporters.

Ty Walker

News Editor

503-472-5114, Ext. 269

twalker@newsregister.com