City Bans Artificial Grass. (Not the Kind You Smoke.)
The city of Glendale, California has banned the use of artificial grass on the front lawns of homes.
You read that right. In Glendale it is now illegal to have your front lawn covered in artificial grass.
The city claims the ban is due to the potential for hazardous compounds, such as lead, that are used in the making of the fake turf.
That explanation smells more than the cow manure people put on their natural grass.
First, the ban only applies to the front yards – not the back yards where kids are more likely to be playing. If the city was truly worried about exposure to chemicals, they would have banned the use of artificial grass totally.
They did not.
Secondly, if you don’t want artificial grass made with hazardous chemicals, then say “no artificial grass with hazardous compounds.” Hundreds of thousands of athletic contests are played every year on artificial turf. Does anyone really think those athletes are being exposed to harmful chemicals?
Lastly, for a state that claims to be concerned with environmental costs and impacts, this decision makes no sense. Let us count the ways:
Noise pollution from lawnmowers, weedeaters and blowers? Check.
Water consumption to keep grass green? Check.
Chemicals and fertilizers on the lawns that leech into the water system? Check.
Grass clippings that clog sewer lines and add to waste piles? Check.
Glendale’s alleged reason for banning artificial grass doesn’t pass the smell test. In fact, it reeks.
We believe a far more likely reason the city banned artificial turf is that someone on the city council or somewhere didn’t like the way artificial grass looks. They may not like the color, or the way it lays on the ground or whatever.
Some person in government decided they didn’t like the way it looked.
And now the city has decided its residents cannot have what they want on their property.
Government has the right and the responsibility to protect the rights of citizens. When one person is doing something that harms or violates the rights of another, the government has the responsibility to step in and say “you aren’t allowed to do that.”
The government has no legal or moral right to make choices for people where that choice does not harm others. The government has no right to step in an be the fashion police or demand citizens follow what the government feels “looks good.”
The sooner people understand that, the better.
I’m sure that there must be something to do with globull warming in the decision.
But, this truly highlights the creeping fascism of government, that they can tell people “no artificial grass on the property that you own.”
It is crazy.
As a side note and something that you would appreciate, we got a link back on this post from a site that is for the legalization of marijuana.
I guess the terms “grass” and “smoke” in the headline caught their spambot eye or something.
Still, it is pretty funny.
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