Termyn8or
Posts: 18681
Joined: 11/12/2005
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FR
This thread has wandered into exactly what I am talking about. I am the main champion of freedom and really I could be called an anarchist. In fact I guess I am because I couldn't care less what is legal or not. However I do live in a community. Some compromise is necessary.
I could fight, and I used to, but time has a way of teaching these principles.
I traded my assault rifle for a couple of normal people guns. The houses here are too close together for those 4400fps copper alloy coated pointies. Intended for self defense only, I deemed it unacceptable because there is too high of a possibility of collateral damage. I call this being reasonable and responsible. Nobody told me to do it.
I think it is your right to have a party on Wednesday until six in the morning, but if you make alot of noise your house should be in a position where it does not disturb the neighbors.
Right now, down here in the urban jungle we share three backyards. We could play football as there are no fences. However if my nextdoor neighbor decides to herd sheep, he's going to have to put up a fence, screwing that situation all up. Sheep stink from what I hear. But I would let them graze here right before it's time to mow. What the city says about the sheep is his problem. Of course this guy would probably sooner raise wolves, a fence would be in order. And I would help him build it.
If my neighbor lost power for whatever reason I would gladly run a cord over to his house to run his fridge. But I would have 12-2+ground NM across the driveway. This is direct buriable Romex and would be much safer.
The fact is that it is stupid to give up your rights, but it is not so stupid to trade them off for something. I have the right to shoot off my gun, but they have the right to let their kids go out and play. So I don't exercise that right. Well every once in a while, but very rarely.
I think what makes it work in the end is really free will. I can party all night long if I choose, but if I keep my neighbor up and he can't make it to work he might lose his house. This is wrong, and also he could be replaced by neighbors from hell. I want these people to stay, they want me to stay. The particular neighbor here is one who has stood with me in solidarity against a common foe, and I am talking a situation that could've turned into a big bloodbath.
Together we have turned this street into a community within a community. It took some getting used to.
I let some do auto repairs in my driveway. This is technically illegal in Detriot, something that surprised me to find out, but that doesn't matter. Well the Puerto Ricans across the street also do car work. I only mention their race because I had to find one who spoke English. see this neighborhood is a dumping ground for stolen cars, with a nice dead end street handy. So when we see a strange car sitting there a couple of days we call. We call because ideally we would like to se the rightful owner get their car back. I told them that if they had to park something on the street for a week or something to let us know, and we won't call. Let them make a few bucks without being hassled. I am not crazy about their music and I am sure they don't like mine much. Nonetheless I have helped them fix a car or two. One time they missed one bolt on a timing chain job and cracked the timing cover. The olman had just the right stuff to fix them up. No problem.
After a bit of talking to, my other neighbor who is quite the busybody understand rights and such now. She is the spearhead of the neighborhood watch program and a liason to our councilman. She looks the other way when things are going on here because she wants me to stay. There was an ambulance down the street the other day. The next time I run into her I will know exactly what happened i.e. what's his name had a heart attack. I will know if he is alive or dead, and if dead how much they will probably want for the house. She is an older spunky Woman in her sixties, and really, I hope that when she dies the neighborhood doesn't die with her. I wish her many years of spunkiness.
The people at the end of the street are a rock. Collectively they have two houses and neither is rented. None of them has ever moved period, except between the two adjacent properties. The olman is about pushing 90 and I love talking to him. he has many stories about the depression and the post depression era. You just don't get that kind of info anywhere else.
You can't buy this for any amount of money. Sure you can buy as big fancy place with acreage where you can party all night and not bother anyone but the mosquitos, and go out hunting or shooting in your front yard. But that is isolation in a way.
So while I don't give up my rights actually, I agree not to exercise all of them. This is what makes this place bearable. This is the city, and the houses are only about forty feet apart. Some accomodation must exist or it just doesn't work. This would be a disfunctional neighborhood, and like a disfunctional relationship or family, usually ought to be disolved. But as long as the key components to this "compound" are in the mix, we are pretty much insoluble.
So I never gave up my rights, I just agreed not to exercise them all. That said, it seems there is not just one line to be drawn.
T
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RE: City condems house for only using solar - 
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