A Matter of Principle





Have you ever had something happen to you that you felt the need to stick up for your rights?  For instance, a traffic violation you felt you didn’t deserve.  When something happens to me in life which doesn’t sit right inside of me, I always stand up for myself and express my concerns.  I wanted to write this blog post so you can follow my train of thoughts to understand my thinking process in dealing with an uncomfortable situation.

This week I got a “Notice Before Summons” mailed to my home from the Department of Waste Management from my town stating that I had five days to clean up debris such as “litter, paper, loose branches and leaves” from an area behind my fence or else I would be fined and cited with a misdemeanor.   This area is about 10 feet wide and meets with a traveled road.  I was told when I moved in my house over 20 years ago that the property belonged to the Town.  Consequently, the Town cared for the property up until I received the letter basically cutting down any tree branches that impacted the road and picking up any litter that passerby’s threw out of their car windows.  I never considered this area my responsibility.

The area in question

The area in question

I was taken aback by the tone of the letter…”I had five days to clean up this area or else….”  Why do people in the place of authority think it is okay to speak down to other people?  There was no reason to send a threatening letter.  Why not simply send a letter asking the homeowner to clean up the property because the Town is lacking the funding or the manpower?  Why not send out a letter in the spirit of cooperation?  By sending out a threatening letter, yes I may be forced to clean up the property, but it leaves a bad taste in my mouth regarding those whom I voted into office.  Therefore, I phoned in a complaint.  As a tax paying citizen, I have the right to stick up for what I believe is inherently right. 

A few thoughts on the summons itself….As I stated above, the summons stipulates for me to remove “loose branches and leaves” from the property.  Why on Earth would I get fined for removing Mother Nature? Those leaves and branches fell naturally to the ground.  They will eventually naturally decompose and benefit the soil underneath.  “Hell can freeze over” before I pick up naturally falling leaves and branches.  How about instead issuing a summons to those who put chemicals on their property which sink into the ground and contaminate our drinking water?  Am I living in the twilight zone?

It’s time we collectively learn how to stick up for our rights as citizens of the Earth.  (Notice I didn’t write citizens of the United States).  We are born free, yet because of man-made arbitrary rules, we are bound so tight we cannot move.  It’s time to release the chains that bind. 

I did contact my local politician with my concerns and received a response that my complaint was “being looked into.”  My next course of action is to write an editorial to the local papers. 

“A girl’s gotto do what a girl’s gotto do!”

Flexing some muscle...lol

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