The people we feature in the pages of this newspaper frequently comment on how one of the things they love about living in our coastal communities is the “friendliness” of their neighbors. And sometimes, our reporting shows this neighborliness to be, well, not so much.
Our area is not unique. It happens everywhere.
Sometimes a dispute is about walls and hedges (well, OK, it’s often about walls and hedges). With increasing frequency, battles rage about access to the beach, and occasionally dogs and bicycles are the subjects of discord.
Almost always, disagreements bubble up when politics is involved. You might not notice it in a presidential election year, but at the most basic level of a democracy, all politics is local.
The guidelines and laws enacted by each of our cities and towns provide the framework for a civil society of neighbors. The number of small municipalities strung like pearls along the coast in southern Palm Beach County goes to show how uniquely each place sees itself — illustrating the importance of home rule. But I digress.
What often comes back to bite local residents is how campaign tactics used in local elections often tap the playbook of national politics. When cloaks, daggers, subterfuge and personal smears are used to secure a seat on the dais in a small town, discord among residents is bound to ooze out as shifts in focus occur during their daily life.
And as much as we all want to think innocently of our neighbors, it’s wise to learn how they are motivated. Trust but verify. Or to quote Ben Franklin, “Love your neighbor: yet don’t pull down your hedge.”
If you have a chance, invite the curmudgeon down the street to join you at a local meeting. It’s eye opening once you understand why things work the way they do.
Most fences (and hedges) in our coastal municipalities should be easy to mend. All it requires is for residents, elected officials and staff to behave like the neighbors they would like to have living next door.
— Mary Kate Leming, Executive Editor
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