Weird news: Woman threatened with jail, she was trying to grow vegetables
Well, to be more accurate, she was trying to grow vegetables in the front yard rather than the back yard (and we do not even know whether she actually had a back yard). In a sign of how the power of the law can go to some people's head and how they only back down when they realize that others are pointing out how weird their actions are; the lady was actually threatened with jail for trying to grow vegetables in her front yard.
Imagine the scene - the front yard of her house is torn up for a sewer line, and when it is time to repair, they think about their options, and have the bright idea of trying to grow some vegetables there. In today;s world, where people want to try and have some organic food, and reduce their dependence on food that is commercially grown, with the wide benefit of trying to save some money, one should encourage people to grow their own vegetables. If they are maintaining them well, there should be no problem whatsoever. However, in her case, there could have been a possible violation of the city code (possible, since it was vague, and the officials wanted to interpret it in the way that they wanted). However, the lady fought back bravely, and when this news went viral, that is when the officials backed down (being laughed at in the media has a sobering effect) (link to article):
Imagine the scene - the front yard of her house is torn up for a sewer line, and when it is time to repair, they think about their options, and have the bright idea of trying to grow some vegetables there. In today;s world, where people want to try and have some organic food, and reduce their dependence on food that is commercially grown, with the wide benefit of trying to save some money, one should encourage people to grow their own vegetables. If they are maintaining them well, there should be no problem whatsoever. However, in her case, there could have been a possible violation of the city code (possible, since it was vague, and the officials wanted to interpret it in the way that they wanted). However, the lady fought back bravely, and when this news went viral, that is when the officials backed down (being laughed at in the media has a sobering effect) (link to article):
The officials in Bass' hometown of Oak Park, Mich., have charged her with growing "vegetable garden in front yard space." If convicted, she could spend up to 93 days in jail. Bass said that the criminal charge "blew my mind." "Sometimes we laugh because it seems so silly and sometimes we cry because it's so pathetic. A lot of times it does not seem real," she told ABCNews.com. Bass has insisted on a jury trial and a pre-trial hearing is set for July 26. If the case goes to court Bass' attorney Solomon Radner does not believe that a jury will convict his client of a crime. "Michelle Obama plants vegetables on White House front lawn. I don't think the jury is going to think that it's suitable for the White House, but it's not suitable for Oak Park," said Radner. The first lady's office, which is encouraging growing fresh vegetables to help fight childhood obesity, declined to comment on the Oak Park vegetable case. Bass got the idea to plant a garden in front yard after it was torn up over a busted sewage pipe.The case against her was finally withdrawn, and hopefully the fear of facing ridicule will ensure that power-bloated officials realize the power of common sense.
