My neighbor is a "lefty" of sorts (Obama bumper stickers, gung-ho
socialized medicine, "guns should be banned", etc.). So this past spring
I put this sign up in my yard after one of his anti-gun rants at a
neighborhood cocktail party. The sign wasn't up more than an hour
before he called the police and wanted them to make me take down
the sign. Fortunately, the officer politely informed him that it was not
their job to take such action without a court order and that he
had to file a complaint "downtown" first, which would be reviewed
by the city attorney to see if it violated any city, county, or state
ordinances, which if there was a violation a court order would be
sent to the offending party (me) to "remove the sign in seven days".
After several weeks he was informed that the sign was legal (by a
quarter of an inch) and there was nothing the city could do, which
obviously made him madder. I tried to smooth things over
by inviting him to go shooting with me and my friends at the hunt
club but that seemed to make him even more angry. I then asked
him if he wanted to go to a Tea Party rally but again he declined
my outreach efforts to bring about a better understanding between
political and social opponents. I am at a loss how to reconcile our
long relationship (notice I did not say friendship), any suggestions
would be welcome. Maybe I'll ask him if he wants to go deer
hunting, which opens up November First, you know, just a bunch
of guys running through the woods chasing Bambi, then sitting
around the campfire roasting marshmallows, drinking beer, and
singing our favorite country songs to the accompaniment of Jake's
harmonica (he is a better lawyer than a harmonica player but don't
tell him I told you). I even made him a bumper sticker and that
made him madder than he already was! Anyway, that's life in our
neck of the woods, how about yours?
socialized medicine, "guns should be banned", etc.). So this past spring
I put this sign up in my yard after one of his anti-gun rants at a
neighborhood cocktail party. The sign wasn't up more than an hour
before he called the police and wanted them to make me take down
the sign. Fortunately, the officer politely informed him that it was not
their job to take such action without a court order and that he
had to file a complaint "downtown" first, which would be reviewed
by the city attorney to see if it violated any city, county, or state
ordinances, which if there was a violation a court order would be
sent to the offending party (me) to "remove the sign in seven days".
After several weeks he was informed that the sign was legal (by a
quarter of an inch) and there was nothing the city could do, which
obviously made him madder. I tried to smooth things over
by inviting him to go shooting with me and my friends at the hunt
club but that seemed to make him even more angry. I then asked
him if he wanted to go to a Tea Party rally but again he declined
my outreach efforts to bring about a better understanding between
political and social opponents. I am at a loss how to reconcile our
long relationship (notice I did not say friendship), any suggestions
would be welcome. Maybe I'll ask him if he wants to go deer
hunting, which opens up November First, you know, just a bunch
of guys running through the woods chasing Bambi, then sitting
around the campfire roasting marshmallows, drinking beer, and
singing our favorite country songs to the accompaniment of Jake's
harmonica (he is a better lawyer than a harmonica player but don't
tell him I told you). I even made him a bumper sticker and that
made him madder than he already was! Anyway, that's life in our
neck of the woods, how about yours?
