November 27, 2007
Speaking Truth to Power
This previous Sunday we had Isaiah baptized. You can read more about that in my WORLD on the Web essay.
Yesterday, meanwhile, I dropped, along with a conspirator, a letter that will go to each of my neighbors. It's the next salvo in my campaign to stop a $60,000 monument to our neighborhood's wealth. Its proponents want to build two twenty-five foot walls, one outside each entrance, replete with destined-to-be-stolen copper plating.
You might recall that I spoke out against this in a previous HOA meeting. The crux of my letter is that it's just plain wrong to spend that kind of money on elaborate entrance markers. A neighborhood is distinguished — or at least, it used to be this way — by the quality of its homes, and by how its residents treat one another. Perhaps it is also distinguished — but not in a flattering way — by the propensity of an organized minority to extract wealth from their neighbors. If we can't squelch that kind of avarice at the local level, I doubt we'll ever be able to rein in the federal tax man.
In what may be a first for me, I was very reasoned and respectful in my letter. I have a feeling I'm not going to make many friends with it, however. But then, a man's got to do what a man's got to do. If nothing else, it's likely to lead to some exciting encounters with very animated entrance marker zealots, all of which I will recount for you, in self-serving fashion, right here. Stay tuned.
Posted by Woodlief on November 27, 2007 at 11:37 AM
Posted by: Scott at November 27, 2007 12:04 PM
Looking forward to reading more and best wishes in your quest.
Posted by: David Andersen at November 27, 2007 12:07 PM
Well, if it's any consolation, I wish you guys were our neighbors.
Perhaps we should rustle up a bunch of like-minded folk and form our own neighborhood somewhere, though not in a creepy cult-like commune sort of way.
Then again, maybe I'm becoming one of those creepy cult-like commune sort of people.
Posted by: Jim Lipsey at November 27, 2007 1:53 PM
Tony, I think you are going about this all wrong; (or is it wrongly?) Maybe instead of trying to talk your neighbors completely out of a new entrance, you should try to talk them into something less expensive... If I may be so bold as to offer an idea that has worked well for my family as an entrance to our 1/4 mile driveway that might be a great compromise between you and your neighbors... It's called a "Cattle Guard"! But if you try to sell it to everybody, make sure you include the features that it works well for sheep AND goats, not merely cattle as the name suggests! How much better could it get when you incorporate function with fashion? Mine came in a trendy Rust color (or maybe I'd rather call it a "natural" metalic color.) Also, they are quite affordible, and if you have a hard time finding any, I would be glad to sell mine for, oh, say; $52,999.00, tax and installation included. Think of the savings; you could be the neighborhood hero! I'm sure after hearing of this compromise, the good people of wichita will jump at this opportunity. They
Posted by: dan at November 27, 2007 4:22 PM
Some people have too much money and too much time on their hands.
Way to go, Tony!
Posted by: Llana at November 27, 2007 4:42 PM
Fight the power! (fist raised, intense look on face)
Posted by: Rob at November 27, 2007 6:10 PM
One can always try snobbery, saying to these people, in an off-hand and indirect way, "The vulgarity and ostentatiousness of the nouveau riche is really quite ghastly. Have simplicity and modesty been cruelly eclipsed by the blinding lights of avarice?" This may shame them into modifying their plans.
Posted by: Adam DeVille at November 28, 2007 8:52 AM
There's another compelling argument against this display of materialism.
To your noble sentiment "a neighborhood is distinguished by how its residents treat one another", I would add that people are also distinguished by how they treat others with whom they are less formally connected than their neighbors.
As Christ taught in his parable of the Good Samaritan, our "neighbors" aren't restricted to our immediate "neighborhood".
It seems to me that the main point of constructing an elaborate (and exclusionary) entrance is to demonstrate to others that we're better than them. Human nature is such that we seek to put ourselves above others.
This, by definition, isn't neighborly.
Posted by: Felix at December 9, 2007 8:17 PM
I never could understand conspicuous consumption. It's like hanging a big "please come rob us, because we have money" sign at the front door.
Simple is always best.
Posted by: chronicler at December 12, 2007 7:19 PM
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