Thread: How far will we let it go?

I hope that last post didn't sound too insulting. I don't think anyone here is actually smoking crack.

Originally Posted by joesixpack

a gay-Women-of-color-chili-cook-off every thursday

Dude, I'm THERE! Where? When?

Originally Posted by joesixpack

I don't think anyone here is actually smoking crack.

Bro...I gotta get cracked out before I shave. Steady hands, you know?

I am of a couple of minds on this at least.

One - having lived next to an unofficial church for some time, I know the parking can be rather problematic - as can just navigating down a narrow street with cars parked on either side in disproportion to the number of residents. Ticketing and a warning is certainly not out of line - the warning especially if it was a regular occurence.

Two - I have to agree with Joesixpack in re the seeming chip on the shoulder. While I can understand a zero tolerance for religious (or other) persecution, I hardly think being taken to task for creating traffic problems counts as persecution. Believe me, there are places where Christians are definitely persecuted, even now, but that involves police actions wherein people disappear and turn up dead or beaten later. Perspective.

We'll probably never know the truth for sure, but I suspect that the whole notion of being questioned about religious activities was take wildly out of context, and probably on purpose to make a better news story by the local paper, the couple getting cited, or both.

Regardless, zoning laws are zoning laws, and if you violate them, you get citations.

If you tick off your neighbors violating them, you get citations quickly because they'll call the city/county to complain.

If you violate them badly enough, you get big citations and the city/county/state can condemn the property.

The fact that the government official may have been a jerk about it doesn't change the fact that they it sounds like the citations were well deserved.



@Jockeys: In Polk County Oregon, the zoning department is very small being a rural county, and they frequently send a Sheriff's Deputy out to issue citations for code enforcement. In Marion County Oregon (the next county over) they have a much larger zoning department with a staff of code enforcement officers who do nothing else. So, you are correct that it varies from place to place.

When it comes to hindrance caused by a neighbor, I always take the 'reasonable' approach. One time things get a free pass. We all cause some problems sometimes (birthday with lots of guests, lat night work in the house, ...).

But when it becomes structural, then I call up the person responsible and find out what is going on. If he persists, that is when I would call the cops. Hasn't happened so far.

If someone would clog up my street or park in front of my garage ever week, then yeah, I think he should take his gatherings someplace else, regardless of what they do.

Whatever happened to carpooling!?

I agree with Joesixpack on this. It sounds like a case of some mid-level bureaucrats getting a little carried away with their duties. Nobody is trying to end home bible studies.

Jordan