Choosing my battles...(again)

How do you know which battles are the ones worth fighting? Usually I'm pretty good at determining which ones to fight when it comes to those within my own household. But now there's a battle which I must face everyday (literally!) and I'm not sure I have the fight in me. Not because it doesn't matter, cause it very much does. But more so because of the futility of the fight. And that I already have many other battles, big and small, that need my attention on a regular basis.

So what is that battle you ask? Well, recently new people bought the property below ours and have turned a nice looking piece of rural property into an industrial area complete with at least 16 vehicles including construction equipment, bulldozers, dump trucks, storage containers, etc. Yes, that is enough of an eyesore on it's own considering it is also in violation of the zoning bylaw, and I have already filed my official complaint with the city bylaw enforcement officer.

But what is really alarming, and what we look at every single day, is their full size Confederate flag that flys high enough to be seen clearly from our kitchen, eating area, and living room windows. And assuming the weather gets better, will be front and centre in our back yard.

Now if I'm not mistaken, the Confederate flag represents the "South" in the American Civil War who lost the battle to keep slavery alive and well. Am I wrong about this? Please tell me I'm wrong.

We've considered talking to the new property owners about the flag, but my "mole" at the City Hall office told me who is leasing that property (and also gave me the head's up that the bylaw enforcement officer is close to retirement so don't expect any big changes with the industrialization of the property). And, guess what? The guy who owns all the equipment is the brother of one of the largest drug dealers in the region. Oh yea! Yeah, that really doesn't make me want to take a stand on this particular issue.

In a perfect world, I (or rather I would make my husband do it)would speak to this neighbor and explain my reasons for politely requesting him to remove his offensive material, he would apologize for not realizing the errors of his ways, and would immediately take down the flag. Probably not going to happen. Any of it. Since I know who he is, and I had the pleasure of going through school with his brother who spent time incarcerated in a Texas prison for a violent crime or two, I don't think I'll choose to fight this battle. Yes I've been intimidated. Yes, in a perfect world my little imaginary scenario above would happen. But then it's not a perfect world is it.

So for now, until an opportunity presents itself that seems do-able with minimal fallout, I'll guess I'll have to continue to hope the winds batter the flag into shreds.

What would you do?