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December 16, 2007
A Society That Threatens
Yesterday, there was a news a story about an individual who seems to enjoy bullying and threatening people. Since he lives in a community association and doesn't believe that anyone in the association (or the township for that matter) can tell him what to do, he and the association (and others) have been feuding for some time over a variety of issues, including building without a permit, blocking a community drainage project, redirecting a stream and dues delinquency. He threatens anyone that crosses him. The police are called regularly, state that he knows just how far to push it without crossing the line. This isn't just about the association, this person hates everybody, saying "he just wants to be left alone". However his actions say just the opposite.
When I was growing up, if the police had been called about him once, he would have gotten a not-so-subtle warning to shut up. If the police were called again, he probably would have been arrested for "assaulting a police officer" or "resisting arrest", and spent some time in jail after he got out of the hospital. But, abusing people's rights is never a good thing and so the police lost their ability to be proactive, and now just show up after violence has occurred.
A restraining order rarely even slows down someone who has a pre-disposition toward violence and confrontation. They've pushed around and intimidated people for so long, without penalty, that the thought that there might be some sort of consequence doesn't cross their mind. They don't worry that their victim might be "packin", since they're pretty sure that the victim is more afraid that he's armed. Nobody trusts the government to keep weapons out of whackos' hands.
I don't have a cut and dried answer. I've seen a few things work, but the circumstances were probably pretty unique, and I'm pretty sure one of them is illegal now. If I was facing this situation, I would probably go have a heart-to-heart talk with the police chief and the local elected council person for my area, just to let them know that they were going to get called daily, written daily, called out at public meetings and essentially put on the hot seat about protecting their citizens, until they figured out a way to get the message through to this guy that his behavior is not acceptable and he's going to find a policeman next to him wherever he goes, and then have the town and HOA work together to correct all of the violations at once.
But even that might not work. Bullying, whether its by an owner or board member is a psychological, not an association, issue. It's a reflection of society, and yet, when an association is involved, it can't seem to become "un-involved". Ideas would be gratefully accepted. If you want to see the article, here's the link: