The abhorrent act of vandalism at the Murrumburrah Cemetery over the weekend appears to be an attempt to take a slab of marble from one of the memorials.

It’s not like criminals are highly regarded, but only the lowest of the lowlifes would be so disrespectful to attack a family’s sacred site.

Our small community is unfortunately not immune to crime, but this disgusting behaviour is on another level altogether.

It’s also not the first time our dearly departed residents have not been able to rest in peace.

Tania Thurlow’s family went through a similar ordeal in 2007.

She couldn’t believe that someone could do something like this in a town where everyone knows each other.

Understandably, The family of the latest vandal attack is very upset.

Police will look into the incident and the Harden Murrumburrah Express hopes they find the culprit or culprits as soon as humanly possible and throw the book at them.

Let’s hope that the courts also support the police in putting them away.

Is this act a reflection on how difficult times are in regional Australia? Are people so desperate for a quick dollar that they stoop to gutter levels to desecrate a dead person’s resting place?

Whatever the motivation, it doesn’t excuse the terrible act and does not placate a family searching for answers.

Surely it must have been someone passing through town, otherwise how would that person be able to walk the streets of our community and be able to look any one of us in the eye.

Members of the community need to be vigilant in response to this low blow. We need to keep our eyes open to any suspicious activity and report information to the police.

Sometimes the smallest of clues leads to a breakthrough in cases such as this.

Let’s turn an atrocious act into a catalyst to band together and rid our community of these gutless and unwanted members of society.

We need to send a clear message that we are a town that values our lifestyle and we will not be tolerant of idiots infiltrating our way of life.