I had to laugh when I read “Whether Dogs or People Bark, One of Them Is Permanently Barred from City Parks,” about the overwhelming outcry from the community over allowing dogs into Culver City parks.
The real reason that dog owners and others who do not object to dogs in parks stayed silent is simple.
Hyper-vigilant parents would make our lives miserable if we and our dogs were allowed in parks for even one day.
I grew up in another well-to-do neighborhood on the Westside. In that city and time, leashed dogs were allowed in parks. People were responsible because it was a tight-knit community.
Parents who were hyper-sensitive kept their kids in bubbles or the backyard.
Everybody was happy.
No need for petitions and meetings.
Given the fact that there is a group of people who are so dead set against it, we dog owners will do what we always do.
We will smile and keep on walking. We are neighborly, and we don't keep score.
Now the real question:
How much can you regulate a world, and how much can we leave to civility and agreeing to disagree?
Ms. Yanda may be contacted at cyanda@gmail.com
