In article .com, Caledonia
says...


Banty wrote:
In article . com, Caledonia
says...




I'm perplexed -- what's the crime in progress? (A small bit of googling
indicated that there are MA bills recently in committee for
decriminalizing possession of a small amount of pot, and making
offenders subject to a civil citation, not criminal citation).

"Recently in committee" not.equal "law". Far from it. Far far from it. Some
folks wanting a change does not a democratic decision make.

True. I was recently made aware by a friend that VT has passed the
medical marijuana law (as had Maine), and was just thinking that maybe,
just maybe, MA would follow-on.

If I were shinypenny, I'd approach them about it, indicate that I don't
want to **** them off, but would be happier if they could find a
different spot. (Just like she said above...), and hope there's no hard
feelings.

I'd say something like "I have to ask you that I not see illegal activities,
and, no, I can't reasonably be expected to look away from your yard everytime
I'm in my yard, that impinges upon the normal use of my property" and leave it
up to them exactly what that means. Repeat statement as necessary. No
discussion regarding law, ethics, democratic action, brain chemistry, what other
people do, or social philosophy needed or even desirable. Just that she doesn't
want to implicitly consent to an illegal activity and have her children see it.
Period. They can move their gardening enterprise to the other side of their
house; they can do their growing in the basement under sunlamps (I'd wager
they're quite experienced at that!); they can just quit this activity, but
that's not for her to specify.

I'd skip the 'not see illegal activities' as it seems too
confrontational for no good reason. IMO, it ups the ante, and sure,
they may just be old stoners looking for dope, or they may be dealing
with Mr. End-Stage-Bad-Disease.

In which case they should still be outfitting their basement, at the least.

If it's the former, the neighbors are
getting the police on speed-dial for the first time someone under the
age of 21 appears to have consumed alcohol on Shiny's property, or the
first time an illegal alien comes by to shovel snow; if it's the
latter, well, I'd just feel pretty darn bad.

I dunno. At least on my property no one not in my family (which is exempted in
our law) would be consuming at under age 21, nor would an illegal alien by
shovelling my snow - a 50 year old well-established US citizen does the plowing.

I don't think this is a case for calling the cops certainly, but neither do I go
in for this nudge nudge wink wink I-can break-the-law-and-you-can-too
attitude-we'll-just-not-see-each-other-do-it.

Banty


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