People -- good, ordinary, run-of-the-mill people -- do a lot of inconsiderate things. I'm pretty sure it's just leakage from the rotten, sinful, fallen, depraved, Grinch-sized hearts we're born with. But whatever the reason, we cut people off in traffic, slurp our soup, leave the toilet seat up, etc.
Most of this is just forgiven as part of being human (after a few seconds or minutes of anger). Hey, we all make mistakes. But one offense against humanity is so heinous, so egregious, so... putrid... that I'm sorry, people, but it has to stop. Now.
The worst thing that people do all the time
Hint: it rhymes with "shmullowing your dog to crap on public ground without cleaning it up"
I live in an apartment complex. There are plenty of things my neighbors do that annoy me, e.g. playing loud music, smoking weed. Sometimes I let these things go. Sometimes I write a letter to the powers that be. But I can emotionally rise above it and move on with my life.
And yet, when someone allows-- nae, encourages, forces, facilitates -- shis dog to defacate on public, grassy, walking areas and doesn't clean it up....
I can't even type words right now as I think about it. It breaks the scale of inconsiderateness.
[My feelings toward it are summed up quite nicely by several scenes from I Love You, Man. I would embed or link to them here, but now that I'm watching them, they are rife with profanities. Like I said, the scenes sum up my feelings pretty well.]
Why is this action so terrible? I'm glad I-pretending-to-be-you asked. Here are a few reasons:
1. It so clearly violates the Golden Rule. I know you don't like stepping in dog crap, irresponsible dog owner.
2. You are responsible for all caretaking of that animal, and you know it! When you purchased the dog, you entered a covenant with the pet and society that you would shield the animal from the harsh realities of this world and shield us from the harsh realities of that dog's excrement.
3. That ground is not your front yard. The fact is, you don't have a front yard. You live in an apartment complex. When you made that housing decision, you forfeited the rights to certain things, among them planting a tree wherever you want, a huge glowing Santa in December, and untended dog feces.
What will we do?
I'm just barely ruling out a mob with pitchforks
I believe that if I catch someone doing this, I should be able to punch him or her in the face. I don't care if it's an old lady-- an unremoved dog turd = a punch in the face. It has been suggested to me that one could take a more creative approach at revenge. The crap could be carefully collected and placed on the offender's doorstep.
What do you think? How severe a punishment should be meted out for this most repulsive transgression?
Jon
