Yesterday's New York Times contained a horrifying story. It laid bare the shocking conditions under which some are forced to live. It gave a voice to those who had once been silent. Its importance cannot be understated.

Consider the story of Eleanor Weiner - a retiree on a fixed income. One night, as she prepared dinner in her home, her peaceful existence was shattered. She was nearly injured as a golf ball smashed through her kitchen window and - if you can believe it - narrowly missed her head.

What prompted this vicious assault? As it turns out, Ms. Weiner's home borders on one of the most dangerous areas of Palm Springs, California, where gangs of men armed with blunt instruments roam freely, terrorizing the local populace. This forgotten place where the locals live in fear is known as Rancho Las Palmas Country Club.

This courageous article shines the light of truth on the terrifying existence of the residents of "El Rancho del Diablo y el Fuego de los Muertos con Queso, and please pass me a Corona Extra," as these brave souls call it. And it's not just Palm Springs - there are thousands of lost souls across the country. Maricopa, Arizona. Rehoboth, Massachusetts. St. George, Utah. Hardyston, New Jersey. Who will step forward and bring these people into the light?

One can only imagine living in such terror. Carefully cultivated feng shui principles - violated! Backyard patios - uninhabitable! Landscaping crews - forced to wear hard hats! 70-inch picture windows - smashed to smithereens!

Even the owners of the country clubs have been victimized by this rash of suburban violence. Unable to control the thugs who roam their property, they must assume the legal burden of making restitution for residents' shattered lives. Consider the words of Pete Cuppels, owner of Middlebrook Country Club in Rehoboth:

"I've already had to take $50,000 from my retirement account to pay for legal fees, both the plaintiff's and mine," Mr. Cuppels, 68, said. "We modified the hole before the settlement, and we've already seen a big drop in return business. I feel worse that my name is on a ruling that could be like the Roe v. Wade of golf law. If the precedent is that golf course owners are responsible for every crooked shot hit by a novice or a good golfer, we're all in trouble."

Shocking. Will no one intervene to restore peace - nay, human dignity - to these beleaguered communities?

This entry was posted on Monday, June 25th, 2007 at 12:40 pm and is filed under News and politics. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.