Your views on privacy issues?
@greenfeathers (1206)
United States
September 2, 2009 1:39pm CST
For those who don't know yet I grew up on a little spit of dirt (32 acres) in southwest Ohio. Given that one would think that privacy was not a problem. Not so!
We were to the city (Cincinnati) side of the township and as I was growing up the suburban cancer was eating up ALL the open space around us. And privacy rights became an issue for us.
Let's keep in mind that the folks who filled the suburban spaces tended to have very strict notions about privacy. Crossing an unfenced yard was a clear violation of space. Yet these same folks had no qualms with sending their kids to hop the fence and violate our space to play in the pasture. Nor had they any qualms with sending them to pick the pears and the blackberries when they come to ripe (both in the pasture). Or to play in the corn and hayfields.
Before you ask, we did try to play legal. We called the police quite a few times and one of the few times they actually showed up my dad was told that unless he paid a fee and purchased OFFICIAL Keep Out! signs from the township, they weren't responsible..Oh the joys of being 'merican!
One incident stands out in my memory about the cornfield. As I said, folks didn't worry about their kids violating our space..Well, as country folks tend to do, we had a dog, the most lovable, gentlest border collie. When we had friends over he'd run, and play with all of us. I guess he figured we were his flock.
Well, one time a bunch of the neighborhood kids were out playing in the cornfield stomping and tearing down the cornstalks and Prince heard the hostile in my dad's voice as he yelled for them to get out and took off after them. Mind you, a couple of the kid's had played with Prince before but the one's that hadn't took off running. I grant it was accidental but the straggler in the group kicked him while they were running and he bit her.
You can probably guess at the next of it. THAT DOG had to be quaranteened (he was tied to a maple tree). We had to pay medical expenses or be sued. My dad paid the medical expenses. And Prince wound up on a chain for the rest of his life because we didn't want to violate the rights of the violator and go thru that again.
I apologize if this has gotten a bit long. My intention had not been to dredge up the all of the memory. But it came anyway, of its own accord.
I am no longer in Ohio. The old home place has been completely eaten up by that suburban cancer. We will have been in Atlanta for going on 22 years (11/27). Our first home down here was in East Point, a rental home. I remeber telling Liz back then that 'It looks like the only folks who deserve any privacy around here are the ones peeking thru their blinds.'
With that I'll stop.
So what do you folks think? General attitude about privacy issues? Your own remeberings.
As an added thought, the above memory is from the mid 50's to early 60's. Obama was in diapers. Just something for you to chew on.
ENJOY!
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