Posted on 09/16/2005 6:37:00 AM PDT by ShadowDancer
Neighbors Find Obscenity Mowed Into Lawn
Parents Worry For Children Who See Message
POSTED: 3:09 pm EDT September 15, 2005
UPDATED: 5:14 pm EDT September 15, 2005
OMAHA, Neb. -- An Omaha man mowed an obscenity into his lawn, and now his neighbors are upset because they don't want their children to see the nasty language.
The homeowner, who neighbors told Omaha TV station KETV has the last name Miller, cut a two-word expletive into his front lawn after being warned by the city about excessive grass and weeds around his house. The phrase is about 30 feet long across his yard.
"I saw the neighbor's yard with some derogatory statements mowed into the yard," said neighbor Traci Tunzer.
Tunzer said she's been hoping her neighbor would mow the long grass in his yard, but she's upset by the way he decided to mow it. Tunzer said there's a school nearby.
"I have three children, and two of them will definitely know what that says. It worries me," she said. "We don't want our children to be around that kind of stuff."
Down the hill, neighbor Bernie Horstmeyer said he is in disbelief.
"When I first saw it, I saw the big 'U,' and I had to back up just to see if that's what it really said," he said.
Horstmeyer and other residents said the homeowner was warned by the city about excessive weeds and tall grass in his yard. They said the expletive could be his response, or just a prank.
"I don't know if he got turned in (or) why he did it. Or he's just bored and decided to mow it," one neighbor said.
City officials couldn't verify the homeowner's name. No one answered at his front door, and further attempts by KETV to contact him were unsuccessful.
City prosecutor Marty Conboy said little can be done legally about the yard.
"There really is no criminal law that covers these kinds of vulgarities," Conboy said.
Conboy said it would be different if the homeowner threatened city employees by saying the expletive, but on the lawn, it's a passive statement protected by the 1st Amendment.
"As much as you might shake your head at what kind of reasoning is involved, it's not prohibited," Conboy said. "A person who wants to make a statement in public, that doesn't invoke a violent response, is protected by the constitution."
Conboy said he is "disappointed" that someone would use his 1st Amendment rights in such a manner.
City codes dictate that lawns taller than 10 inches can be ticketed, but Parks and Planning officials said that unless the grass that formed the expletive met that criterion, there was nothing they could do to force its removal.
Ummmmmmmmmmmmm, I'm d*mned glad you don't live near me.
Reminds me of Elsa Lanchester in that one Night Gallery episode.
Wasn't this a Simpsons episode?
Just between you and me ...LOL
The man is in his 50's and lives with his mother. I have been here 10 years and have never seen any other activity there. They only come outside to pick up leaves and weeds on occasion. The have no veggie garden or any colorful gardens. Its a brick house with grass and some green bushes and shrubs. Blinds are always drawn.
On another note. There house is at a busstop for the local elementary school. When it rains we usually drive there to pick up our children. One time a womans tires were on the strip of grass before the curb and after the sidewalk. ( the town owns this little strip by the way) They came outside screaming at the mother to move her car or they would call the police.
Clearly there are issues at this residence. Bothering the police for a fence installation is just plain absurd.
Prowling around in some yards at zero dark thirty might get your posterior rock salted.
LOL, you know you did remind me of a neighbor some years ago who would sit on the ground and pull up weeds by hand in her yard. She would do this for hours at a time. We used to joke that she used cuticle scissors to trim her lawn.
Why?
Well, I'm not sure whether you're being ironic or serious, so I'll guess serious first...
I'm no fan of homeowner's associations, and live out in a rural area where there aren't any. I don't want anybody telling me I have to mow my lawn to a certain height. I mow it, but only when I feel like it. Some of my neighbors have rickety buildings and dead cars on blocks and so forth, that would curl your hair. Over-long lawns don't even get a sideways glance out here.
I'd never take it upon myself to modify a neighbor's property by stealth or destruction. That's just not right. Bad enough when the associations do it by regulation, but if you choose to live in a regulated area, that's the price.
I can't wait until this guy's association writes in a bylaw regulating "Lawn Speech".
From your comment that keeping a neat lawn is anal, I would surmise that your lawn is probably poorly kept. If I am wrong, I apologize.
Here's how a neighborhood should work.
Several years ago, when we had the big house, I noticed a neighbors lawn was probably getting close to 8 or 10 inches.
I finished mowing mine and just went across the street and started on theirs. In about 10 minutes, another neighbor had sent his boy down to pitch in. Soon thereafter there was four of us mowing, trimming and blowing.
In no time the yard looked fine.
A few days later the owners returned from the funeral in Colorado to find they had one less thing to worry about.
I have a friend who is a full time evangelist and slightly nuerotic about his lawn.
I once threatened to write "Jesus Saves" on his lawn with gasoline and ignite it.
Hmmm, tough question, do you get mad at me, or use it as an evangelistic opportunity?
both...with anger at about 99% and WWJD? at about 1%.
I was being both serious and tongue-in-cheek at the same time. If they don't like the "lawn language" or the high grass, the only alternative is complete regulation by some city or local authority. Here, in Ft. Walton Beach, we call them (among other things) Lawn Nazis...........
Letting his lawn grow? He's just an enviromentalist!
As far as the mowing...that's free speech!
It's just fun to get him going.
He doesn't eat meat, so every once in a while I e-mail him a photo of an especially juicy steak.
He's a good friend and realizes that I'm certifiably insane, so it doesn't really phase him much anymore.
Obscene crop circles. So that's how they are made, with lawn mowers!
Look,
I love yard work,
But I hate housework...ALL of it!
Wanna swap houses?
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