Wednesday, November 26, 2003

Don’t mess with the ‘Moose’

The story about the “Moose” at Bugaboo Creek is, at first glance, a light-hearted story about a statue of a moose, and some kidding around by some of the Fayetteville City Council members. The reader will pass it off as a human interest story with no possible effect on their daily lives. I almost did.

While the average homeowner in Fayetteville doesn’t think about a moose in the front yard of Bugaboo Creek, apparently the City Council does. The fact that the Bugaboo Creek moose is under the scrutiny of a City Council that has in its power the ability to regulate and restrict the normal conduct of a company’s business should give one pause for concern.

I can’t think of a thing that’s wrong with the Bugaboo Creek moose. In fact, I like it. I took my picture with it when I ate there recently. I would suggest that normal Americans like it too. So why is the moose’s head on the chopping block?

I would suggest that it’s because some have become so fearful of anything that’s “outside the box” they react quickly to eliminate it and to prevent others like it. They want everyone to live life at the lowest common denominator.

God forbid there is some spark of rugged American individualism left. We must all conform to a code that’s fast becoming more complex than the tax code. The oft used, but little considered maxim, “There ought to be a law,” has, sadly, become the reality which must be confronted in our daily lives.

In the article, Councilman Brewer said he thought of the Moose more as art. I agree with him. But reading on, it seems that the City Council is going to have to review yet another proposed ordinance in February. This one will deal with none other than — art! To which I ask the question, why? Is there a threat of this city becoming inundated with statues like the moose? Of course not.

Now the homeowner may say, Well, this doesn’t affect me, so I really don’t mind what the City Council does about the moose.

Well, this time it’s Bugaboo Creek’s moose that’s threatened with being gored. Sooner or later, the home owner’s “moose” will be in the same ditch.

I remember quite well a proposed ordinance several years back which would have prohibited recreational vehicles from parking overnight in homeowners’ yards. Apparently there were some who felt, “There ought to be a law.” Fortunately, the mayor at the time had occasion for his relatives to park their recreational vehicles from time-to-time in his front yard when they stopped by to visit, and that ordinance was dismissed.

Fayetteville has various examples of art. Not many, but there are a few. Is the Coke mural and the tire sign mural and the city mural not art? Of course they are.

Is the moose not art? Of course it is. Do they offend anyone? None that I know of.

So I suggest there’s no need for yet another layer of regulation. The council should spend its efforts on eliminating traffic, not art, and dismiss the proposed art ordinance.

To quote another old maxim, “If it’s not broken, don’t fix it.” Here’s hoping the City Council doesn’t “fix” the moose.

Paul C. Oddo, Jr.

Fayetteville, Ga

[Oddo lost the Nov. 4 race for Fayetteville City Council.]