This is a letter to the editor I published at the Daily Advance. Posted here for posterity, since they have no online archive:
Dear Elizabeth City Residents,
It’s time to take down the “No Trespassing” signs.
Property lines are pretty obvious. People should know it’s wrong to enter a house that’s not theirs. If people can’t tell where your yard begins and ends, then tend to your property’s landscaping to make it apparent. A well-maintained home is the best defense against burglaries.
If you really want to protect your property, build a nice white-picket fence or get a home security system for $20 a month and put one of those “Home Protected by ______” signs in the front yard.
Imagine you are visiting Elizabeth City for the first time and you see “No Trespassing” posted in every yard and window. You would think this is a pretty lousy place to live, which is a real shame, because it’s a great town with a lot of culture, history, and friendly faces.
Please stop scaring away visitors with these “Not Welcome” mats.