There are some crimes too audacious to fathom. A simple robbery may seem commonplace, but if it disregards the importance and significance of the stolen object, it packs a heavier punch. The crime can affect hundreds or even thousands of people. There’s a difference between stealing someone’s purse and stealing a highly coveted symbol in modern pop culture. It can be dangerous. It can be devastating. The entire world is now looking for the perpetrator. There’s no escape. The gig is up, so hand it over.
BALL GROUND, Ga. - A scarecrow made to resemble one of the men in the reality television series “Duck Dynasty” has been stolen and burned by a Georgia teenager. The teen was arrested for the theft of the scarecrow and could face charges.
City Manager Eric Wilmarth told the Cherokee Tribune that the teen who stole the scarecrow was from Canton, Ga.
"He was just passing through downtown Ball Ground and thought Uncle Si was pretty cool and wanted him. [He] just didn't think about the consequences, and I am sure didn't think there would be so much publicity," Wilmarth said. "The young man has expressed remorse - he is sorry for what he did - it's just one of those things you can't back up and undo."
The scarecrow was wearing camouflage and sitting on a hay bale with his legs crossed. It went missing sometime between Wednesday night and Thursday morning in the small town of Ball Ground, located roughly 50 miles north of Atlanta. After robbing the scarecrow, however, the teen got nervouse and decided to burn the evidence to cover his tracks.
The scarecrow has been a favorite in the community’s first-ever scarecrow contest. It captures a slice of life that resonates with the culture. Not only does the scarecrow symbolize their agricultural societal structure, but the character is depicts embodies their way of life. Four mothers of local fourth-graders spent more than 40 hours making the scarecrow, scrutinizing every tiny detail to achieve perfection. And now it’s gone.
"To begin with, we were kind of upset; the main reason we had done 'Duck Dynasty' was because of the background and their beliefs and we truly believe in them, and as a community we have to forgive," Allison Martin, one of the mothers who created the scarecrow, told the Cherokee Tribune.
The scarecrow may be gone, but its 'Dynasty' will live on.