Grammar Vigilante Gets Nicked

There are people in the world who have a heightened sensitivity to grammar errors. It's not just that they know the rules and recognize mistakes, it's that they have all the information front of mind and make reference to it regularly. Like superheros, or something. I was raised by two of them and work with a couple of them, as well. So this story (via Volokh) is for them:

A man from Somerville, Mass., and his friend who went around the country this year removing typographical errors from public signs have been banned from national parks after vandalizing a historic marker at the Grand Canyon.

Jeff Michael Deck of Somerville, and Benjamin Douglas Herson, of Virginia Beach, Va., pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Flagstaff after damaging a rare, hand-painted sign in Grand Canyon National Park.

They were sentenced to a year's probation, during which they cannot enter any national park, and were ordered to pay restitution.

Upon further review, shouldn't these guys be in Gitmo?

An affidavit by National Park Service agent Christopher A. Smith said investigators learned of the vandalism from an Internet site operated by Deck on behalf of the Typo Eradication Advancement League, or TEAL.

According to the Internet posting, TEAL members agreed to stamp out as many typos as they could find in public signage and other venues.

Maybe my parents and coworkers are secret agents of TEAL? Are there grammar terrorists in my midst?