Standing Up and Talking

Many people think of teachers as being natural speakers, which is a partial truth.  Just like most skills, public speaking is a learned skill that gets better with good practice.  The first day of school each year is frightful, even if you know most of the students.  I have spoken to classes, dinners honoring people, at funerals, in front of school boards, to TV cameras and various committees.  One truth I have learned is that once words are out of your mouth, you have no control of them.  Words, language and inflection need to be chosen carefully.

Tonight I am speaking again to our city council about the specifics of chickens kept within city limits. Last June the city Planning Commission and City Council rewrote the City Ordinances to close a few loopholes in their minds.  I have no doubt that there are problems with the old ordinances, especially since they are 20-30 years old. At that time one of the changes was the outlawing of "barnyard" pets, which include chickens, turkey, cows, goats, etc.

After talking to various city officials and informing them of the growing backyard chicken movement, a small group of people have been attending meetings of the Planning Commission and Council through the summer and fall and giving input on the chicken and fowl ordinance.  There seems to be two distinct groups of chicken people.  One, like my family, raise laying hens for their eggs. The other is a 4H group that shows the chickens, including roosters.

There are distinct differences between these groups, but yet we are similar--we are doing something we have been doing for years and only within the last year has it become illegal.  We don't keep roosters and talk with our neighbors to not be a burden. Our 7 chickens allow us most times to give away eggs.  The 4Hers keep roosters, but have talked to their neighbors and worked out an arrangement to keep the roosters silent during agreed upon hours.  Both of our sets neighbors have compromised and get along with neighbors.

At the last meeting I attended the Planning Commission proposed and passed an proposal of 10 birds maximum be kept in backyards.  The city council lowered it to 6 birds.  6 won't be enough to keep my family in eggs, let alone give any away.  My task tonight is to try and inform a group of people about a subject they care little about and have not tried to inform themselves about.  I need to try to get them to think outside their experiences and be fair.

Kind of like telling someone to go to hell, and get them to enjoy the trip.