A destructive pastime?

Last night at a university sponsored party I watched fellow students destroy a fairly decent looking, probably broken down, Subaru. Last night, as I watched the scene unfold, and this morning, as I passed torn upholstery, shattered glass and dented metal I was stuck breathless by our definition of junk. How many places in this world would the same car be considered treasure – treasure that may be somehow finagled into running, or at least be the source of parts which would finagle another jalopy into running. In Guatemala I certainly saw a lot older, rustier vehicles trudging down the highway. To me this begs the question: Are we really that ungrateful for the abundance in our lives that we consider destruction an acceptable pastime. Perhaps I am making too much of a fairly insignificant event, but perhaps the event is a lens on a societal condition in need of attention.