What About Those RIGHTS?

Who says you can tell me what to do on my property any time you want? How so? You say that’s what that nice little ol’ lady does every day when she brings her pack of dogs by so they can crap all over my nice clean lawn. She’s telling your neighbors and you exactly what she thinks of your property and you without uttering a word!

You might want to read: “A salute to local citizens”
Rebecca Kimbel/My Word/The Times-Standard
Article Launched: 04/17/2008 01:30:19 AM PDT
http://www.times-standard.com/othervoices/ci_8955616

What does Rebecca Kimbel, founder of a movement called Keep Our Neighborhoods Safe say about our “rights”? Joe was motivated to say something about this matter because of his personal experiences dealing with this issue in his neighborhood. Because it gives him a rather personal perspective, he’s decided to limit his objectivity. He mostly supports Rebecca Kimbel’s good intentions, if nothing else bringing neighbors together. What she says about rights and responsibilities applies to everyone, not just “drug dealers”. She says, “No one has the right to infringe upon the rights of another.” So how is it that Joe’s neighbors all tell him that they have the right to do whatever they want on their property regardless of his rights?

Here’s the first part of her commentary:

A salute to all who had the courage exercises your rights and take your neighborhoods back. Cheers to all who worked with our local drug enforcement officers, police department and community leaders to rid your neighborhoods of drug houses and drug dealers.

We respect your courage, your actions and your persistence in protecting your rights, your families and your way of life. Your actions uphold and protect the rights of all of us.

When any segment of our community recognizes and upholds their rights and responsibilities, they strengthen the rest of us to have the courage to do the same.

Everyone has rights. Everyone has responsibilities. Rights and responsibilities of landlords do not take away from the rights and responsibilities of tenants. Rights and responsibilities of tenants do not take away rights and responsibilities of neighbors.

Drug dealers do not have the right to:

1. Lower property values by creating drug houses in our neighborhoods.
2. Destroy the property of others by turning rental homes into indoor growing operations, meth labs and garbage dumps.
3. Use a residence and the surrounding area and streets as a garbage container, which subjects the entire neighborhood to infestation of rodents, cockroaches and other contamination.
4. Keep us awake at night with loud music, yelling, fighting and screeching cars and drug users.
5. Subject us to the behavior caused by the effects of drugs, which include but are not limited to an increase in burglary or breaking and entering; larceny or theft; aggravated assault and other assaults; robbery; motor vehicle theft; arson; driving under the influence.

There are many other crimes beyond possession and sales of drugs. Most of the above listed crimes take place within two miles from where the drug user lives. …

He just wonders if she’s really thought through what she’s advocating. This is a very scary idea:

“The eyes of the citizen go where ever you go. If you don't like living around or near what you are seeing, if it is illegal, degrading or destructive, you have the power to make changes through anonymous information.”

Seems innocent enough, doesn’t it? It seems anymore, all someone has to do is make an accusation and that’s justification for the loss of all rights. She goes on to say:

“Put the Self back in self-respect. Join us with your silent strength by responding to the following information from Jack Nelson, commander of the Humboldt County Drug Task Force: …”

Rights are very important to all self-respecting persons. How you get self-respect by skulking around in the dark, anonymously making accusations to the police on the q.t., whether justified or not, is way beyond me.