Not So Good Neighbor

There are events that make my injustice nerve tweak like a madman.  Stories like a thief getting hurt on someone’s property, and suing the homeowner, the victim, for damages and winning.  Or like the infamously moronic McDonald’s spilling of hot coffee lawsuit.  I may be a little high strung, but at times, I just want to grab someone and scream, “Are you kidding me???”

Many times I listen to a story and shake my head, feeling helpless to satiate my desire to stop the momentum of bad ideas.  I want to intervene, or at least say something.  If you let trends establish themselves, they only get trendier.  The old adage, ‘give an inch and they’ll take a mile,’ rings true.  The more that unscrupulous people get away with, the more they try to take.  Power creates an appetite for more power.

When I hear stories of injustice, I want to get on a loud speaker and tell people what I think.  I have this human flaw called presumption.  I presume that I have some good ideas.  I presume that people like good ideas.  I presume that people want to listen to good ideas and do something about it.  It is a characteristic left over from childhood.  But then I remember that, even if good ideas are floating around out there, many people don’t want to hear them.  And many who do like good ideas, smile and nod, and then go watch their favorite TV show.  Good ideas would probably sound like a dull thud coming from the moon.  So what’s the point?  But sometimes these little stories make their way right into your own zip code, or even to your very street.  And when they do, something must be done.

Long story short, someone called Children Services on one of the nicest people on our street.  I was absolutely stunned.  It made me so angry, I stewed for days.  I stewed because if I would have opened my mouth at the time, I would have to do a lot of repenting later.  I decided, instead to write a letter to my neighbors.  It is a little scolding, but primarily, is attempting do something constructive.  When I have flaws in my thinking, I would hope that someone, with whom I have a relationship with, would bring it to my attention.  I intend to do the same with this letter.  That is the main impetuous behind my blog – fixing flaws in thought.  ‘Let us reason together…’

Here is the Letter:

Dear Neighbors,

It has come to my attention that recently, one of us has called children services on another one of us on this street.  I am appalled by this unnecessary action for several reasons:

First, I know the person in question (The callee).  They are not even close to someone who should have children services called on them.  I wonder how much the “caller” has even talked with the “callee”.  Do they even know anything about them?  If the caller had spent any time getting to know the callee, they would know how ridiculous it is to call on them.  Instead, the caller called from behind their closed doors.  How can you be a good neighbor by judging a person from afar?

Second, What if the callee did do something wrong (which they didn’t).  Why would the caller make a singular and speculative judgment?  A person’s life is a moving picture, not a snapshot.  Think back over the “snapshots” of your life.  Every one of us could be accused of criminal behavior.  Let’s not be unsympathetic to our neighbors.

Third, children services is for abuse.  Abuse is not a singular incident (which didn’t even happen, but was speculated to have happened).  Once again have courage, and get to know your neighbors instead of tattle tailing.

Fourth, as if the government were not already too involved in our personal lives, you have to invite them to our street.  The caller has put the callee, and our whole street on the radar now.  What is the government anyway?  It is people just like you and me and full of flaws and corruption.  But we constantly vote or “call” our freedoms away.  Can we not try to deal with our neighbors ourselves, like mature adults?  Then, if someone is unreasonable, take other measures?

Is our judgment so bad that we need babysitters?  Many people, like me, wish the government would not be so involved in our personal lives.  But ironically, citizens are a main part of the problem.  By making calls to report on neighbors, we are voluntarily giving up our rights to deal with issues.  We are giving away our freedom and power.  I wonder if this is how people in East Germany felt?  Plus, lets let the police deal with real and known problems.  They’re probably tired of all the calls themselves.  For example, someone called the police on me for driving a go-cart on school property.  The cop was kind and even apologetic.  He explained that he didn’t see a big problem, but had to come talk to me because some “nosy parker” wanted to spoil someone else’s fun.  It was a birthday party, at 2:00 in the afternoon.  No one and no property was being hurt.  What a waste of taxpayer money.  In addition, children services is overworked and understaffed.  This was a waste of their time.  They have many, many real and known issues to deal with.

Fifth, doesn’t that phone call invite a spirit of mistrust and tension among our neighborhood?  I would like to think that we are good neighbors.  Is calling children services, regarding a singular and speculative event, motivated by love and support or is it something else?  I don’t even know how to categorize it.  I would have a hard time feeding my enemy to the powers that be, let alone my neighbor.  What is next?  If I go too fast down our road, will someone call the police?  Will someone call on me if I don’t mow my lawn according to OSHA standards?  If my car leaks some oil, will someone call the green police?  If I lose my “German” temper and yell, will someone call the children services on me?  Why needlessly involve detached strangers in our affairs?  Why not try to solve our own problems?  Let us talk to each other.  Let us be neighbors.

Finally, I will always come to you if I have a problem.  Likewise, if I ever offend, let me know.  Also, if anyone has a need that I can fill, I will.  I would like to be a good neighbor.

Sincerely,

John Gunther