Post article about the rarity of school shootings, David Ropeik explains just how unlikely it is that your child will be a victim of a shooting in one of America’s public schools. In his March 8, 2018, article “School Shootings Are Extraordinarily Rare. Why Is Fear of Them Driving Policy?” Mr. Ropeik explains that despite the very unlikely prospect of your child being shot and killed at school, “We sometimes seek protection from fears in ways that put us in greater peril.” He further explains that sending our precious children off to school and giving up that control makes any risk seem more threatening and, as a result, causes us to focus on this fear in an illogical manner. Out of all of the concerns you have in raising kids, being shot and killed at school should probably rank somewhere behind being struck by lightning, run over by the drunk-driving neighbor, or being eaten by a shark. The fact is that these horrific incidents, despite their prevalence in national news, are very, very rare. In fact, that gun you bought to “protect” your family is, unfortunately, a much greater risk to your child than any crazed shooter. - Lucas Foust
The simple fact is that the chance of being shot and killed in a public school is extraordinarily low. It’s not the zero chance as it is in some countries, but it is extraordinarily low, nonetheless. In a Washington
LIGHTS OUT Florida City Battles to End ‘Extreme’ Lights Display
restrained due to the timing of the court’s decision. By 2017, “Hyatt Extreme Christmas” was in full swing again, much to their neighbors’ chagrin. Mark Hyatt rode the wave of support for his display all the way to a vacant seat on the Plantation City Council in 2016, but the highs would soon stop there. Plantation news outlets reported in 2018 that Mark Hyatt filed for divorce, effectively ending any hope of another “Hyatt Extreme Christmas.” As the snow has settled, an extravagant lights display has instead become a story of nasty court battles with a sad ending for the Hyatts and their “extreme” Christmas devotees.
But, for the Hyatt’s neighbors, extreme didn’t even begin to explain the chaos. Neighbors complained to the city about increased traffic, litter in their yards, and potential injury or death to pedestrians due to the traffic. Police officers in Plantation were dispatched to the light display multiple times each season for complaints by neighbors, accidents, and traffic control. After a two-year battle in court, a judge ruled in favor of the Hyatts, claiming the city could not prove the display was dangerous or a nuisance. The city had spent nearly half a million dollars fighting their case.
There’s nothing quite like the magic of twinkling Christmas lights. But for city officials in Plantation, Florida, Christmas lights are a stark reminder of a prolonged fight, nearly $500,000 in court fees, and continued drama. In 2014, Plantation sued residents Mark and Kathy Hyatt for their “Hyatt Extreme Christmas” lights display, claiming it was a “public nuisance.” Each year, the Hyatts decorated their yard with more than 200,000 lights, snow, a Christmas tree, a Nativity scene, a functioning Ferris wheel, and more. Their creation was featured on two nationally televised programs and attracted flocks of visitors.
For the Hyatts, Christmas 2016 was a celebration, though their display was
2 • www.lucasfoustlaw.com
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