Big local government in Ohio town forbids nativity scenes in your own front yard.

[Kondor3]

It took me a while, but I figured it out. If someone who is not a Christian complains that a nativity scene is an affront to his beliefs, the Christians argue that Christmas is a secular holiday. If a non Christian puts up something that a Christian finds to be an insult to his religious beliefs, then the non Christian is engaging in an insulting and dangerous way, to the detriment of the peace and wellbeing of the community.

By Jove, I think you've got it.

It's how the very large Christian majority in this country stay on top of the heap, in our secularized Christian nation.

Most such folk are tolerant enough of other belief systems to allow our type of society of function well enough.

But if you go far enough out of your way to piss them off (as this zombie-nativity asshole did), they will find a way to bitch-slap you, sooner or later.

The zoning regulation(s) at-issue here were merely the mechanism du jour for doing so.

Had it not been zoning laws there would have been something else in its place.

People who piss into the wind usually end-up with nothing more than cold, wet, stinky pants-legs.

And some folks never learn... pissing into the wind again and again and again and again.

Consider it an exercise in practical application of the Boundaries of Free Speech, on the local level.

Rather comical, in some of the aspects of the case.

 

[Seawytch]

There's no indication this is a First Amendment free speech issue

I disagree. I find it difficult to believe that nobody else in the entire town has a nativity scene up, or that any of them have been cited because of it. The selective enforcement would create first amendment issues.

That being said, you need to look closer. Cuntdor is saying this is about this particular nativity scene being offensive.

Hey, fuckwit, the zoning bans displays bigger than 35% of the yard.

Perhaps you'd like to add some sense to your diet?

Perhaps you should actually read the links you post. Or have your caregiver read them to you.

According to documents obtained by Fox 19, Sycamore Township, which is outside Cincinnati, does not allow structures to be located in the front or the side yard to occupy more than 35 percent of the area.

But one has to wonder if a drive down any Township street at Christmastime would find dozens of such "structures" taking up more than 35% of the area that did not get ordered down. Since we've all seen towns at Christmas, it is pretty safe to assume that there would be a lot of them that were not ordered removed because the content wasn't "objectionable".

I'm sorry, but I believe that the zoning law was unfairly enforced on this display as an excuse.

 

[Kondor3]

......I believe that the zoning law was unfairly enforced on this display as an excuse.

You are probably correct.

Life is unfair.

Hold the presses.

--------------------

Look at it this way...

Today, the guy gets a zoning-violation citation, and a slap on the wrist...

A dozen generations ago, the little wanker would have been charged with blasphemy, his goods seized, his family turned out onto the street to shift for themselves, and then he would have been executed in the town square - a regular holiday - great fun for the entire family.

All for intentionally and insultingly pissing off so many of his neighbors, in a religious context...

So... within that framework... the cup is half-full.

 

[nodoginnafight]

IMHO: If you broke the rules, you really don't have much of a complaint. Perhaps you have an argument to enforce the rules uniformly and not based on the content of your display. But to me, that just means making others remove THEIR non-conforming displays - NOT leaving your non-conforming display up.

If your only defense is "everyone else is doing it," I don't have a whole lot of sympathy. That didn't work with MY mom when I was little and I think if your were raised that way, then you've been raised with a victim mentality that makes you ill equipped to take full responsibility for your own actions.

Just MHO.

 

[Skylar]

According to documents obtained by Fox 19, Sycamore Township, which is outside Cincinnati, does not allow structures to be located in the front or the side yard to occupy more than 35 percent of the area. Also, the primary structure must be 3 feet from the street, and 6 feet from the house.....If he does not take down the exhibit, legal action will be taken.

Ohio homeowner told to take down his zombie nativity scene Fox News

That doesn't seem to have anything to do with Nativity scenes. And more to do with structures built in one's yard. From the cited specs, it would be entirely possible to put a Nativity Scene (or easter scene, or Transformers Scene, or Halloween Scene) that met those restrictions.

 

[SwimExpert]

That doesn't seem to have anything to do with Nativity scenes. And more to do with structures built in one's yard. From the cited specs, it would be entirely possible to put a Nativity Scene (or easter scene, or Transformers Scene, or Halloween Scene) that met those restrictions.

Only if your yard is at least 10 feet. That, in and of itself, is overly restrictive.

Also, interpreting "structures" to include seasonal decorations is overly intrusive.

 

[nodoginnafight]

That doesn't seem to have anything to do with Nativity scenes. And more to do with structures built in one's yard. From the cited specs, it would be entirely possible to put a Nativity Scene (or easter scene, or Transformers Scene, or Halloween Scene) that met those restrictions.

Only if your yard is at least 10 feet. That, in and of itself, is overly restrictive.

Also, interpreting "structures" to include seasonal decorations is overly intrusive.

Ok, so how big IS this guy's yard? Were any other folks asked to remove non-complying displays? What rules exist to determine how long "seasonal" displays can remain up?

Look, if you're getting all worked up over this case without knowing a lot more of the details, then I would have to suggest that perhaps your objections are not based on the particulars of this case, but with a larger political ax to grind.

 

[Skylar]

That doesn't seem to have anything to do with Nativity scenes. And more to do with structures built in one's yard. From the cited specs, it would be entirely possible to put a Nativity Scene (or easter scene, or Transformers Scene, or Halloween Scene) that met those restrictions.

Only if your yard is at least 10 feet. That, in and of itself, is overly restrictive.

Also, interpreting "structures" to include seasonal decorations is overly intrusive.

It might be overly restrictive. But it still has nothing to do with Nativity Scenes. Its a coding violation.

 

[SwimExpert]

That doesn't seem to have anything to do with Nativity scenes. And more to do with structures built in one's yard. From the cited specs, it would be entirely possible to put a Nativity Scene (or easter scene, or Transformers Scene, or Halloween Scene) that met those restrictions.

Only if your yard is at least 10 feet. That, in and of itself, is overly restrictive.

Also, interpreting "structures" to include seasonal decorations is overly intrusive.

It might be overly restrictive. But it still has nothing to do with Nativity Scenes. Its a coding violation.

It's a nativity scene, cited as a zoning violation for an overly restrictive law. Ergo, big government is prohibiting nativity scenes.

 

[SwimExpert]

That doesn't seem to have anything to do with Nativity scenes. And more to do with structures built in one's yard. From the cited specs, it would be entirely possible to put a Nativity Scene (or easter scene, or Transformers Scene, or Halloween Scene) that met those restrictions.

Only if your yard is at least 10 feet. That, in and of itself, is overly restrictive.

Also, interpreting "structures" to include seasonal decorations is overly intrusive.

Ok, so how big IS this guy's yard? Were any other folks asked to remove non-complying displays? What rules exist to determine how long "seasonal" displays can remain up?

Look, if you're getting all worked up over this case without knowing a lot more of the details, then I would have to suggest that perhaps your objections are not based on the particulars of this case, but with a larger political ax to grind.

I guess that overly restrictive big government telling people what to do with their own front yards when their actions pose no harm to anyone whatsoever is a political ax to grind.

 

[nodoginnafight]

That doesn't seem to have anything to do with Nativity scenes. And more to do with structures built in one's yard. From the cited specs, it would be entirely possible to put a Nativity Scene (or easter scene, or Transformers Scene, or Halloween Scene) that met those restrictions.

Only if your yard is at least 10 feet. That, in and of itself, is overly restrictive.

Also, interpreting "structures" to include seasonal decorations is overly intrusive.

Ok, so how big IS this guy's yard? Were any other folks asked to remove non-complying displays? What rules exist to determine how long "seasonal" displays can remain up?

Look, if you're getting all worked up over this case without knowing a lot more of the details, then I would have to suggest that perhaps your objections are not based on the particulars of this case, but with a larger political ax to grind.

I guess that overly restrictive big government telling people what to do with their own front yards when their actions pose no harm to anyone whatsoever is a political ax to grind.

Except, you have not made any case whatsoever that this is an instance of overly restrictive, that the rules were selectively enforced, or what the purpose or utility of the zoning rules were in the first place.

If you wanted to put a nuclear waste dump in your front yard, do you think your neighbors should have no say in that? When people live in close proximity, what your neighbor does on his property CAN infringe upon your rights.

Display what you like - just do it within the rules.

 

[Skylar]

That doesn't seem to have anything to do with Nativity scenes. And more to do with structures built in one's yard. From the cited specs, it would be entirely possible to put a Nativity Scene (or easter scene, or Transformers Scene, or Halloween Scene) that met those restrictions.

Only if your yard is at least 10 feet. That, in and of itself, is overly restrictive.

Also, interpreting "structures" to include seasonal decorations is overly intrusive.

It might be overly restrictive. But it still has nothing to do with Nativity Scenes. Its a coding violation.

It's a nativity scene, cited as a zoning violation for an overly restrictive law. Ergo, big government is prohibiting nativity scenes.

But it isn't restricting them because they're nativity scenes. Its restricting them because the display violates zoning laws.

The 'nativity scene' part of the equation is irrelevant, despite its starring role in your argument.

 

[Kondor3]

That doesn't seem to have anything to do with Nativity scenes. And more to do with structures built in one's yard. From the cited specs, it would be entirely possible to put a Nativity Scene (or easter scene, or Transformers Scene, or Halloween Scene) that met those restrictions.

Only if your yard is at least 10 feet. That, in and of itself, is overly restrictive.

Also, interpreting "structures" to include seasonal decorations is overly intrusive.

Ok, so how big IS this guy's yard? Were any other folks asked to remove non-complying displays? What rules exist to determine how long "seasonal" displays can remain up?

Look, if you're getting all worked up over this case without knowing a lot more of the details, then I would have to suggest that perhaps your objections are not based on the particulars of this case, but with a larger political ax to grind.

I guess that overly restrictive big government telling people what to do with their own front yards when their actions pose no harm to anyone whatsoever is a political ax to grind.

No more nor less than trying (and failing) to make a Mountain out of this particular Molehill in the first place.

 

[nodoginnafight]

That doesn't seem to have anything to do with Nativity scenes. And more to do with structures built in one's yard. From the cited specs, it would be entirely possible to put a Nativity Scene (or easter scene, or Transformers Scene, or Halloween Scene) that met those restrictions.

Only if your yard is at least 10 feet. That, in and of itself, is overly restrictive.

Also, interpreting "structures" to include seasonal decorations is overly intrusive.

Ok, so how big IS this guy's yard? Were any other folks asked to remove non-complying displays? What rules exist to determine how long "seasonal" displays can remain up?

Look, if you're getting all worked up over this case without knowing a lot more of the details, then I would have to suggest that perhaps your objections are not based on the particulars of this case, but with a larger political ax to grind.

I guess that overly restrictive big government telling people what to do with their own front yards when their actions pose no harm to anyone whatsoever is a political ax to grind.

No more nor less than trying (and failing) to make a Mountain out of this particular Molehill in the first place.

That is the political theater of it all.

Someone who breaks the rules then runs to the media whining saying, "it's not fair." "Everyone else was doing it too."

And someone takes a very small fraction of the whole story and tries to grind a political ax with it.

I don't apologize for being one of those who wants the whole story before getting all worked up.