The Dogs Do Bark and the Mormons

I made this card in the studio the other night.

I wondered if I should scan it and send it to each of the neighbors on either side of me.

Last weekend after Larry told me that the one dog had been barking at some ungodly late hour - or as my previous typo was "undogly" hour of the evening(in other words, a time not fit for even dogs to be outside alone). He heard a car pull up and promptly went over and knocked on the door. Apparently it was a relative or friend going into the house, adamant that the dog is never left out. Larry replied that he had a notebook with a list of the times and dates that the dog was loose, or barking for hours on end. I am sure he was as nice as he could be under the circumstances, but firm.

The next day on my run into town, I went to the family business and dropped off a business card with my phone number to the young man of the house, and asked him to give it to his mother and have her call me. He said that she was working and I could speak to her at work, and I gently declined, saying that it was not appropriate to discuss things at someones job, but a phone call would be appreciated.

Needless to say, no one has called me.

The verdict is still out as to whether they are making a valiant effort to resolve this without us getting legal on them. I think, as I sit here, that in humor I will send a copy of the card and thank them for their anticipated cooperation in the matter, and that I have a three month old, a four year old, and my daughter who will be staying w/me and the dog's barking heads right through the walls into our brains. The neighbor on the other side of us also has a dog who has electric fence, but who also barks for hours on end. So, perhaps I will send this card to each, with a kind note about how though I understand that dogs do indeed bark, it can be annoying to hear them for hours, and enclose a page from the Internet site that sells sonic training devices for dogs who bark.

If they chose to ignore it, I have no other option than to buy the damned thing myself, which means I will have to spent 100.00 to buy two, one for either side of the house, or take them to court. Sigh. I try to be considerate about other people, why can't I get the same respect? If I played hours of rap, or opera for that matter on outdoor speakers, wouldn't the police be by my house for disturbing the peace?

Why can't we all just get along?

And, as a PS to this blog, why did the Mormons contribute to 70% of the money to help get Prop 8 passed. Like the earlier post I made about the grassroots effort to send Sarah Palin a message by contributing to Planned Parenthood in her name, a similar event is going on where for every 5.00 you send to www.InvalidateProp8.org, a postcard will be sent to the head of the Mormon church with this message: Dear President Monson: A donation has been made in your name by _________________ to “InvalidateProp8.org” to overturn California's Proposition 8 and restore fundamental civil rights to all citizens of California. The money will be donated to legal organizations fighting the case and to support grass-roots activities in support of full marriage equality. Although we decry the reprehensible role The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints leadership played in denying all Californians equal rights under the law, we are pleased a donation has been made on your behalf in the effort to overturn the discrimination your church members helped enshrine in the California Constitution. Given that throughout its history the Mormon Church has been subjected to bigotry, we hope you appreciate the donation in your name to fight religious bigotry here in California.

Amen. Off to the sight right now, after I re register AGAIN on the DO NOT CALL site, as my life is again filled with solicitation phone calls!

Patti O Justice