Vandal spray paints over middle school mural

GRUNDY CENTER – Last week, the school was forced to clean up a mess after it was discovered that the “I Am Syria” mural painted onto the side of the utility shed at the east parking lot had been vandalized.
The unknown vandal used a can of red spray paint to write “Americans No Refugees” across the mural.
The mural, which was created by Todd Zinkula’s seventh and eighth grade social studies students, was not about refugees and was in no way political, Zinkula said, but simply about basic human rights.
The mural was part of the “I Am Syria” Green Hand movement, which according to the “I Am Syria” website, is aimed at bringing awareness to the suffering going on in Syria while showing support to the people as they fight against a dictator to instill democracy. The green hand is a symbol of revolution, and supporters share the hand in hopes of educating others and raising awareness of the issue.
“This organization is about showing compassion to people living in this war torn area and trying to spread democracy,” Zinkula said. “It’s the concept of human rights; it’s about standing up to dictators, it’s not about bringing in refugees or anything like that.”
Zinkula said he thought the vandal probably missed the message about what the “I Am Syria” movement is.
“I believe it was a misunderstanding or a lack of education [on the vandal’s part],” he said. “This is a very non-political message, it’s just about bringing awareness to these people suffering and living in this war torn country, and showing support for them as they stand up to a dictator.”
For the full story, see the June 23 edition of The Grundy Register.