I saw a sign the other day that said something along the lines of: “I don’t know where you came from, but I’m glad you’re my neighbor.”

‘Glad’ means happy, delighted. It is more than simply neutral, it’s a positive thing; in this case it would be that: “it’s good (for me) that you’re my neighbor.” The owner of the sign is, as it turns out, stridently opposed to Mr. Trump.

So, was the owner of that sign really glad? What if the new neighbor to whom the sign is directed is cooking meth in the basement? Or running a child slavery ring? Maybe they’re converts to the worship of Ba’al and Tanit and are going to start making human sacrifices in the back yard? What if he supports Trump?

I thought of that sign again the other day after Congressman Scalise and several others were shot.

So, what makes good neighbors? At the simplest level it’s someone who fits in, who isn’t going to affect me negatively. They maintain their house and property (I don’t want my house to lose value); obeys the law (who wants criminals next door?); is considerate (any heavy metal music at 2 AM every night?); and follows basic rules of common politeness (chickens are okay in the country, not so much if you live in suburban Washington DC, where I saw the sign).

Will the neighbors care if someone paints their house shocking pink? A little, perhaps, but it depends on the neighborhood. If the house is 15 feet away, that’s one thing; if its 500 feet away, as with my neighbors in southeast Virginia, that’s another.

But that’s the simple part.

What about someone who has a different religion? Among my immediate neighbors I know there are Catholics, Methodists, Baptists, Jews, Lutherans, AME, Hindus and atheists. As far as I can determine, no one appears to care. There are also Republicans, Democrats, Tea Partiers; Trumpers, Clintonistas and Never-Trumpers. Everyone still talks. Is there a common thread?

Yes, there is; that thread is the Constitution.

Everyone in the neighborhood understands one simple thing: we stay within the boundaries of the Constitution. No one talks about it, but it’s clearly understood. The citizenry are the source of power, government works for us, the rules apply to everyone and everyone follows the rules – and we all know what those rules are. And then there is the Bill of Rights. Everyone may not be able to quote it verbatim, but everyone understands its essence.

We all also understand something else: we all know where our property stops and starts. There are a few walls, a host of drainage ditches, and seemingly everywhere, lines of trees and hedges, clearly delineating where one yard stops and another starts.

Which really signifies respect: respect for each other, respect for each other’s beliefs, respect for property, respect for the law.

But in some parts of this nation that respect seems to be unraveling. Particularly in California where, for example, free speech on college campuses seem less free, or similarly in New York or New England. Or even on a baseball field in a Washington, D.C. suburb.

This is dangerous terrain we are crossing. If we are to avoid anarchy, chaos and violence, there has to be acceptance of rules and limits. If you believe that a particular individual is not legitimately holding office there are legal procedures you can pursue. That is how a civilized society functions. The only justification for stepping outside the law is when moral imperative outweighs obedience to that law. But to accept that imperative is also to accept the consequences of any further action.

Asserting that President Trump is not legally the President makes for interesting cocktail circuit conversation but no one seriously accepts that; he won the election and there is no serious legal challenge to that statement.

Asserting anything beyond that, that the Trump administration is fundamentally immoral and must be resisted outside of normal political give-and-take, therefore places any such believer outside the law. There is no middle ground. You may resist passively or actively. But you are still outside the law and must suffer the consequences.

Which brings us back to the question of bumper-sticker philosophy: What makes a good neighbor?

Respect for the law. That’s something to be glad about.

And after all, no one is glad James Hodgkinson was their neighbor. Right?

Copyright 2017 Arrias
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