Editorial: Burglars reach a new low

Shannon Coday had a name for the burglar who broke into the Dayton Senior Center last week.

"Lowlife," the site manager called him.

That would be the same description of the person who took money from the Nevada Children's Museum last year and who broke into the Brewery Arts Center a couple of weeks ago to steal a computer.

Lowlifes.

Another part of the description would have to include uncaring and despicable. Because these organizations - the senior center, the children's museum, the arts center - are among many that scrape by each year on the goodwill of others.

They raise money, often from people who aren't exactly well off themselves, in order to provide services for the community. These aren't profit-making businesses. They often rely on volunteers to get things done.

In fact, they're just the kind of organizations that likely would go out of their way to help people.

It's bad enough that burglars have been making a regular practice of breaking the doors and windows of Carson City businesses in search of computers. That they would steal from children, seniors and starving artists is a new low - as in lowlife.

Fortunately, there is enough good in the world to outweigh the bad. Twice, the law firm of Crowell Susich Owens and Tackes has come through to make up for the losses at the Children's Museum and the Brewery Arts Center. Dayton residents have already covered the donations lost at the senior center.

For every lowlife in the world, it seems, there is a whole host of high-minded citizens.