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You've heard a little about our neighborhood. It is rough. People are working hard to change the area. Getting rid of the slum lords and resulting slums and building median income housing in their places. I like that about our neighborhood. I like living with people who demonstrate determination and courage. I like living where people are working to defeat evil.

We have seven bars in our neighborhood. That seems enough to me. A woman wants to bring another bar in; she is calling it a restaurant that serves alcohol. The determination that it is a restaurant means that she can be open seven days a week. She also wants to sell six-packs and tobacco products. Again she can be open seven days a week. There is also some indication that she brings the prostitutes to the neighborhoods she has businesses. Wrong, wrong, wrong! Did I mention wrong.

Chris went to the city council meeting last night. People opposed to this establishment spoke and the woman defended herself. There are more than a few issues and the councilmen (women?) tabled the request. Not the least of which is that her neighbors don't want her here! Perhaps her liquor license will expire before it comes up again. One would think that in this representative democracy, the will of the vast majority of people in a neighborhood will be upheld. Alas, the city council decided to not decide. I am disappointed.

I didn't realized how disappointed until I was walking home from the library with Abigail. It occurred to me again that we are richly blessed, Chris and I. If this bar/liquor shop disguised as a restaurant moves into the neighborhood, we can move. If the prostitution picks up, we can relocate. If the slumlords continue to lord, we can take up residence another place.

But what happens to the elderly retired community members who are living on social security and pensions? What happens to the working families who want to own a house but make $16 an hour? What happens to the young family just starting out? What happens to the children of welfare recipients who spend their money at that restaurant? What happens to the family of the woman who becomes an alcoholic? What happens to that wife who finds out her husband is frolicking with the prostitutes with an STD? What happens to the father whose daughter becomes a prostitute?

God says that we are to submit to the government, that the rulers are appointed by God and that part of their responsibility is to restrain evil and punish evildoers. Somehow I think that includes protecting those who are weak, those without option. Bringing money into an area is not always a benefit to the weak and the poor; sometimes governing means restraining evil for the benefit of the people even to the detriment of the coffers. Wednesday night when deciding not to decide, the Uniontown city council neglected these important responsibilities God has given them.