There are two sides to every issue.
On one side of the coin you have the people who think that Hey, I grew up with animals all over the place! Dogs barked, roosters crowed, cows mooed. WE lived with it. Why cant you live with it now? Its all part of living in a rural town, a small town, and part of living in Mancos. The respect you should have for your neighbor is something that should just BE there and shouldnt have to be made into a law.
Then there are the people who say that the respect we have for others should be made into ordinances governing what we do and how much we should have to listen to. They say that there should be laws that tell us what to do in most every instance, so that we can fall back on it if the need should arise. That way everyone would have to abide by the laws and there wouldnt be any question about doing it or not. And there would even be some recourse and punishment for NOT obeying the ordinance.
Ive always been a law-abiding person. I follow the rules, I obey the law and if its legal, Im okay with it.
Just because something is legal doesnt make it right, though. And, on the other hand, just because something is illegal doesnt make it wrong. But if something is illegal, that makes it ... well, illegal. I would be breaking the law if I do it.
I feel as if I have enough self-restraint, enough self-discipline, and enough respect for others, to NOT do those things that will hurt someone else. I feel like I have respect for others when it comes to noise, smells, smoke, talking, cell phone use, driving, or anything that others might see as being annoying. For the most part, I employ the Golden Rule do unto others as you would have them do unto you (My mother ingrained that into me!) And if need be, I TALK to the people involved. After all, communication is always good.
So if I am not going to like it, I doubt that someone else will. And even if they are okay with it, I will still be respectful of their feelings and space.
The same goes for neighbors, friends, co-workers...
Some people want to be able to do whatever they want to, regardless of others feelings. They have little or no respect for anyone else, perhaps thinking that they are entitled to do whatever they want.
Arent we all human beings here, with needs and wants? Do we need an ordinance in order to live together in harmony?
Jeanne Archambeault
Mancos Times editor
