Colquitt County Commission is considering a noise ordinance, specifically noises coming from buildings ... as in loud music.

Clearly this is not meant to prohibit people from having music in their homes or other structures, but rather to keep it at a level that neighbors are not disturbed.

An ordinance would establish a distance from a building from which an assigned level of noise would be disturbing.

Now in many cases, when people are asked to turn down the volume, they comply. Others, however, seem to have no respect for their neighbors in that regard and do not pay any attention to such requests.

An enlightened, respectful public should not require such an ordinance, but we do have those who have not reached that level and therefore must be forced by law to comply with common courtesy.

Many of us are annoyed by loud music coming from automobiles that can be heard all over a neighborhood. We have experienced instances where a car pulls up beside us with its windows down and loud booms coming from inside that literally rattle our vehicles. One must wonder the damage that such noise causes to one’s hearing when they are encased in those vehicles from whence those sounds come.

Now there are already laws on the books about loud music in cars, however they are rather difficult to enforce given that the car is not stationary. And as suggested earlier, one would think common sense should prevail in such instances, but we know that common sense is not so common.

An ordinance that applies to buildings should be much easier to enforce. The public should be on notice that this ordinance is on the table and consider their neighbors. There’s an old saying that “your rights stop where my nose begins.” One might apply that logic to the “ears.”

Public beware.