Barb: Sometimes people just don't think before they act. A mindless, cruel act by three Alabama college students went far beyond the "joke that got out of hand" that the trio described.

How could anyone think that burning several rural churches -- where faith must have been more prevalent than money to rebuild them -- could be a joke? What could these college students have been thinking?

The problem is that they didn't think -- or their minds were possessed by some demon.

The only good thing to come out of this episode is that the minister of one of the churches expressed concern for the young men. Undoubtedly, many will want to kick the boys, but the minister will pray for them, which may be generous even for a Christian given the circumstances.

Dr. David Pollick, Birmingham-Southern College president, where two of the students attended, has pledged the institution's resources and labor -- students, faculty and staff -- in rebuilding the churches.

Pledging the support is a charitable thing to do, but Pollick and other university presidents should institute a one-hour course that forces students to think about the consequences of their actions. Such courses should be the purview of the family but that seems to be failing more often these days.

Governor can lower the flag now

Bouquet: The Senate this week endorsed a House-approved bill that gives S.C. governors more power to lower flags at the Statehouse when notable people die.

Gov. Mark Sanford was restricted from lowering the flag last year when Rosa Parks died, as he and other governors have been restricted for numerous notable people. Parks has been described as the woman who changed a nation. She was named by Time magazine as one of the 20 most influential people of the 20th century.

Governors now have more power to lower flags at the Statehouse when notable people die. The law allows the governor to order the flags atop the Statehouse lowered when a presidential order lowers flags at federal buildings or when a person "of extraordinary stature" dies.

New city manager arrives

Bouquet: Beaufort's newly hired city manager, Scott Dadson, reported for work Wednesday. As the new executive, Dadson inherits a number of projects that must be completed, along with a citizenry that is hostile toward proposed annexation of 5,000 acres of land in the Grays Hill/Seabrook area.

Dadson isn't a newcomer to issues facing municipalities, as evidenced by his actions Tuesday night. Before plunging into the job, he attended a City Council meeting to get the lay of the land, so to speak. Intelligent man.

We welcome him to Beaufort, and we hope that his stay will be mutually beneficial.

The cows are out of the barn now

Barb: Port Royal Mayor Sam Murray acknowledged this week in a letter to the editor that the decision to annex the 105-acre Mobley tract across the Chechessee River was a difficult decision. "We believe that the agreement we have created incorporates just about every concern raised by those who have provided input. We understand that the density was a major concern, as well as the fiscal impacts on Port Royal residents," Murray said.

The mayor now proposes that all municipalities in Beaufort and Jasper counties hold formal meetings to discuss additional growth and work to establish greenbelts or self-imposed growth limitations that require extraordinary concurrence by the town councils.

Well, now that the town has jumped the previous greenbelt boundary, which was loosely established as the Broad River, the cows already are out of the barn.