Uncivil behavior

What happened in Alton, Ill., the other day makes one wonder about the state of American society.

Emergency personnel in the small city on the Mississippi River north of St. Louis, Mo., were called to a housing complex to fight a fire and investigate a shooting and other crimes.

Once emergency responders arrived, a mob attacked them with fireworks and bottle rockets, the Associated Press reported. The mayhem was planned for the amusement of several hundred adults and children who gathered at the complex to watch.

Fortunately, no one was injured, though police had to take defensive action to control the crowd.

Alton Police Chief David Hayes said: "It defies human logic. It's the work of hoodlums that would create a ruse like that to lure in emergency services people who are paid to protect them and be at their service, then use those resources as target practice." The attackers used firecrackers, bottle rockets and other fireworks, all outlawed in Illinois.

Here's hoping the attackers are brought to justice. This is a terrible example for the children who were invited to watch — the opposite of what the adults should be teaching them.