Urban America today appears to have become a place not to different from Nazi Germany just before World War Two.  Everyone has drawn their little lines in the sand of their property borders and isolated themselves from their neighbors.  To ensure that our neighbors do as we desire, we established the "Home Owner's Association" and all new homeowners in the neighborhood will be subject to the rules/rulings of that committee or they will be forced to sell their home and move.

I remember I had a friend that moved into one of these neighborhoods a few years ago.  He found out pretty quickly that he had to get permission to just about anything outside.  For instance: He cannot plant a fruit tree, permissable trees must be three inches or larger in diameter.  They determine the height and opacity of all fences.  Another friend cannot build a "shed" that is visible from their neighbors yard or street.

My neighborhood does not have such a "fine" committee.  We do have our little Nazi spys though.  People who drive around the neighborhood looking for grass that is one inch too tall.  Looking for a damaged fence, or a loose pet.  These are those who are  willing and able to report their neighbors for the slightest indiscression.  To ensure that the maximum fines are properly levied.

One of our neighbors recently called animal control and insisted that we be fined because our dog had gotten out of the fence and deficated on their lawn.   She called not only once, but twice.  Certainly if my dog had deficated on the neighbor's lawn, and I knew about it, I would go clean it up and apologize - taking the necessary actions to prevent a future occurance.

However, this neighbor did not come to me and say anything.  Oddly enough, when this occurred, none o f my neighbors were home!  So, whose house was it?  How do I apologize?  The ticketing officer did not reveal the name of the person bringing the charges.   But, the officer was more than happy to issue a citiation for each of the two dogs that got out of the fence, and for the defication. 

Total costs in fines?  $600...

Holy smokes!!!!  $600 DOLLARS!!!   That like seven tanks of gas, or a months worth of food, or half of one of our electric bills!!

They couldn't come and say: Hey your dog is loose and "crapped" in my lawn, could you clean it up and keep your dog contained.

But, again, none of my neighbors were home...  And I know most of my neighbors pretty well... Well enough that if there was a problem, they would address me directly.  Shoot one of them is a Sherif's Deputy, he always comes to me to address issues he has.  He doesn't want any hard feeling and we always work out whatever the issue is.

So what do we do?  Well, how about we fight the ticket.  This will force the person who files the charge to come forward or the charges will need to be dropped.

I suspect that it is not one of my close neighbors that complained, but rather, a person from several blocks away that would like to force us out of the neighborhood.  If this is the case, then I will have the ability to counter sue for the potential damages that would have been incurred for the false charges.

You see, none of my close neighbors know the names of my dogs.  But the person who called in the complaint identified the dog by name.  The only person that would know that name is former close friend from several blocks away.  It is a sure bet that my little lap dog dig not go half a mile away to deficate.  When the dog does get out, it doesnt usually go more that 10 yards from the house.

You may think I am jumping to conclusions at this point.  However, my eldest son has seen those former friends drive slowley by our house repeatedly several time a day over the last few weeks.  like they were looking for something.  Plus another person, aclose associate of theirs, was inquiring about our dogs - like they knew something.

The former friend, a distant neighbor, is most likely the cause of this Neo-Nazi like persecution.  It will be interesting to see their response in court when it is demonstrated that the dog could not have possibly done this.  And if it turns out to be that this person is the source of this complaint, it wil be interesting to see what happens each time her husband, a minister of sorts, uses a handicapped parking spot without a handicapped person being in the car and without that handicapped person exiting the car - as is his custom.

But do I want to be that petty?... hmmm.. Well, if it turns out that they are the ones who are persecuting us, then maybe... One thing I know for sure, I am far more capable of paying the $600 fine than they are of paying the $1500 illegal use of a handy-capped spot.  Even one of those fines might create a situation where "they would no longer be my neighbor" - distant or otherwise.

Of course I am speculating on who did this.  There is certainly a plethora of circumstantial evidence. But that is not proof.  But there is a wonderful thing in our legal system.  It is called "DISCOVERY", and there really is no such thing as an anonymous complaint.  Plus, to incist on a citation being issued, the complainer would need to give their name and number.

As far as the dogs go?  I fixed the fence, they cant get out anymore.  That in itself might be enough to get the fines lifted.  Fixed them that night.

What if it's one of my local neighbors?  They ALL work, and I do not believe that they are going to take a day off of work to press a fine for a problem that has already been remedied.  But we shall see...

There you have it then, neighbors going to the authorities for vengence, or irritation.  Welcome to the socialist republic of America.  Where your semblence of freedom is an illusion easily shattered by the oppressive nature of a few who seek to build themselves up by persecuting others.  What happened to the days of the neighbors looking out for each other, protecting each other, covering for each other?  I guess those days are gone as we enjoy the security provided by the police state that one or two generations ago would have resulted in revolution.