With apologies to Pete Seeger, Where Has all the Common Sense Gone, Long Time Passing? Where Has All the Common Sense Gone, Long Time Ago?
Kudos to Penny Keener Gerlach for her recent letter asking, "Who will be an advocate for Lewes homeowners?" Ms. Gerlach presented a litany of incidents of bad behavior and the boorish mentality of visitors coming to our beach community, which is true enough.
I would also suggest that not all of them are visitors. Our full-time residents are just as capable of bad behavior and being boorish.
Ms. Gerlach chastised a city planner for refusing to accept responsibility "for the hordes of visitors who crammed themselves onto the beach, left their trash and had lack of respect for the residents' property." In this regard, her complaint is ill placed and naive. To always look to someone else or a government agency to solve our problems is shirking our responsibility, and usually accomplishes nothing.
Citizens and residents alike have to take responsibility, particularly when the problem can only be solved on the spot. It just takes a little backbone. Loud music from cars parked in front of your home can be addressed by walking outside and telling them to turn down the volume. A stranger sitting on your porch steps feeding a baby is easily taken care of by telling them to leave. Not knowing what to say to her is a weak excuse.
It would help to some extent if people were called out when they're seen leaving their trash on the beach. Peeing in people's yards and on the dunes is unacceptable, but the police can't be everywhere. So, once again in answer to the questions, Who will accept responsibility? Who will advocate for Lewes homeowners?
The answer is, to paraphrase Pogo, "We have met the one who is responsible, and it is us."
Steve Hyle
Lewes
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