This commentary is by Maeve Kim of Jericho, who is a former public school teacher, has taught scores of classes about Vermont birds and nature, and was a Green Mountain Club volunteer for almost 20 years.
Many Vermonters enjoy our state’s many lakes and ponds — from kayaks, canoes, rowboats, fishing boats, sculls, sailboats, on stand-up paddleboards, and when swimming.
One wake boat can destroy that wonderful experience for scores of other people. One boat, one driver, affecting dozens and dozens. That’s just not right!
To those wake boat owners who argue that the state’s waters should be for everyone, consider a few scenarios.
— A foursome of bagpipers gets together to practice right next to a church every Sunday morning. I’m Scotch-Irish; I love bagpipes. But they are really loud, and it would be difficult for a quiet church service to compete with them. I think the congregation might ask the bagpipers to postpone their practice or move to a different location.
Yes, the churchgoers could be said to be impinging on the bagpipers’ “rights” — but in a civil society, a compromise could and should be worked out. Bagpipes are unquestionably noisy; bagpipers know that it might be disruptive if they practice their art just anywhere and at any time. They also know that a small group of loud musicians might not always have “rights” that take precedence over the rights of a large group of fellow citizens.
— A second possibility: You live next to a small park where your young children love to play. They swing, go down slides, watch tiny ants in rapt fascination, have pretend picnics with their dolls and teddy bears.
But then older and bigger kids decide the park is perfect for louder and rougher play. A toddler is hit by a powerfully flung Frisbee. Another is knocked down. The neighborhood begins to consider reserving the little park for younger children and their parents. Yes, that means the park isn’t for everyone. But some of that “everyone” have been making it dangerous for many other “everyones.”
That’s what wake boats and their owners do. They are very few, and they ruin the experience of a great many. They can also actually endanger the many other users of “everyone’s” water.
In addition, “everyone’s” lake shores are fragile. They are an important part of the Vermont habitat, vital in protecting water quality. Fishermen, paddlers and swimmers don’t damage the state’s lake shores. Wake boats can destroy them.
We are all members of society. There are many rules and laws that restrict the “rights” of each of us to behave exactly as we feel like, exactly when we feel like it. Wake boats are a relatively new phenomenon on Vermont lakes, and there have to be rules and laws governing their use — for the good of a great many other Vermonters.
