Whose Business Is It, Anyway?

Prince William County Neighborhood Services Division Chief Pat Reilly recently announced the creation of a hoarding task force. There’s been some opposition to that announcement. The wonderful thing about writing this column is the opportunity to share information and opinion, so I hope you’ll read and share your concerns with me. I’ll respect your opinion, even if I disagree, and I expect you to do the same for me.

I read many positive comments from people who are familiar or understand the problems hoarders present. Most of the negative comments toward the task force were centered on this mantra: “The government has no right to interfere in my life!” Nearly all the adverse comments mentioned things like “Big Brother,” “My rights” and other phrases that reflect concern regarding government invasion of privacy.

Let’s talk about the privacy issue, first. No one from any agency, whether it is local, state, or federal is going to force their way into your home to see if you have a messy closet. Many complaints about hoarding are actually made by family members who have reached the end of their rope.

I think privacy is over rated, anyway. I don’t really care what the government knows about me. I don’t do anything illegal, I don’t commit any crime. I don’t care if someone knows I’ve had cancer or what brand of aspirin I buy. I have nothing to hide and nothing to fear.

Right about now, I can hear a bunch of people shouting, “I have rights!” Here’s a question for you: Where do your rights end and mine begin?

You say you have a right to have all the junk you want…well, you certainly do! You don’t have a right to endanger my life or my home, though. You don’t have the right to endanger anyone else and you don’t have the right to lower my property value.

These are my rights: I have the right to live in a safe, clean community. I have the right to be proud of where I live. I have the right to enjoy my own property without watching rats running from your yard to mine. I have the right to invite my friends and family to visit me and not be ashamed of where I live.

The motto of the police force is “To Protect and To Serve.” Isn’t that the role of all government? Don’t we want to help the weak, assist the downtrodden, stand up for those in need? After working with Prince William County for six years as a neighborhood advocate and as a volunteer for Habitat for Humanity, I can tell you these hoarders need help.

Maybe the Hoarding Task Force can’t help all the hoarders in PWC, but it is a neighborhood problem and we need to try. I do truly despise hearing the words: “There’s nothing we can do.” There’s always something we can do. The hoarding task force is just another tool in the box.