I am helping someone deal with a potential neighbor dispute. Some neighbors are ganging up on other neighbors. They are coming to the conclusion that one of the neighbors is a drug dealer (age 22), and I think it’s all in their hyperactive imaginations. I am not the person accused and it’s not even in my neighborhood, but it pisses me off to see it.
Some neighbors are saying things like they saw the other neighbor distribute contraband to someone when, in fact, all they saw was one person pass something to another person. They have no idea what was handed over.
They question how the neighbor can afford a certain model of car, when, in fact, they know nothing about how much the family may have saved, acquired money from various sources other than their current income, or gotten help from extended family, or whatever. HE MUST BE A DRUG DEALER! :rolleyes:
Well, three years ago, one of the neighbors saw the neighbor in question engage in UNDERAGE DRINKING! GASP! That obviously reflects on the character of their family. That confirms the possibility the kid is a DRUG DEALER TODAY! :rolleyes:
Well, the kid just got busted on a weapons charge and the STATUTE includes violations for ILLEGAL GUNS! Actually, the kid had brass knuckles in his backpack and he had no idea they were illegal. He was stopped for not having a light on his bike at night, and they opened his backpack. He will probably go to a one-time community service class, and the charge will be dropped… but the neighbors are all scared that it’s a gun charge.
You get the idea. It’s all rumor, speculation, innuendo, paranoia, etc. It’s like they WANT to think he’s a drug dealer and are stretching all kinds of things to make it true in their own minds, but I don’t see it.
I think there is a word or saying about this kind of thing that can be thrown back at the busy body neighbors to show they are jumping to all kinds of crazy conclusions about this kid, but I am drawing a blank.
Also, are there any historical examples of this kind of thing that I can use to show how silly they are acting? I can think of McCarthyism, I guess. Anything else? Thanks.