Friday, December 17, 2010

Legalism Defined

Maggie and I took a walk around the airport trail this morning. Around our public spaces, people are concerned about doing the right thing when their dog poops. Carrying a bag to pick it up is essential to good citizenship.

Beside the trail this morning was a small black poop bag with a knot tied in the top. The owner had followed the letter of the law but completely missed the point. In his case it would have been better to creatively disobey the rules. Using a stick to sweep the offensive mess into the bushes to decompose within a short time would have been better than the plastic bag left on the trail. It will still be there in a hundred years if nobody picks it up. But he followed the rules and thinks he did good.

Legalism always stinks and doesn't seem to ever go away. It trades packaging, that's all. Don't be fooled - it really is what you think it is. Shipoopi......

7 comments:

Lyla Lindquist said...

Trades packaging.

That's really all it is, isn't it?

Like this very much. ;)

Emily Hamblen said...

What a great example. Stinky legalism.

A Simple Country Girl said...

Shipoopi!

(I got nothing else to say--hard to believe)

Blessings.

Louise Gallagher said...

Ummm.... Oh dear. Perhaps your errant dog walker was somewhere else further along the trail and hadn't yet walked back?

I often walk along the trail, clean up my dog's poop and leave the bag at the side until I walk back to pick it up on the return journey. I don't like to tuck it in too deeply just in case I miss it on the way back.

It's quite a common practice on the trails where I walk -- particularly because the only garbage cans are at the trailhead.

I hope that was the case for your errant walker.

Hugs

Louise

Judy said...

Legalism: Following the rules of men, to the letter of the law, whatever law they make. Ugh. Ugly stuff.

On a lighter note, Merry Christmas to you and yours. Love you.

Anonymous said...

howdy kathleen...
thanks for the beeeeeuuuutiful card!

Laura said...

I am missing you, Kathleen! The gold of your words sent this way made my new year's beginning so bright. love to you.