Letters to the Editor: A pink house with giant emojis is not a municipal crisis

To the editor: My, my, with all the serious issues facing us today, it is funny to read that some residents of Manhattan Beach are considering a lawsuit and trying to change local housing codes over a lively painted exterior.

Perhaps if the upset residents just ignored the owner who painted giant emojis on her house, traffic would return to normal and everyone could get on with their lives.

On the other hand, if they continue this silliness, residents who support the right to free speech on one’s own property might join in the fun. They might paint their homes with a giant cactus, a tree filled with birds, beach scenes, children playing ball and other lively images. This will be entertaining to follow.

I lived in Santa Monica for several years, so I witnessed my share of both important and trivial civic action. Yes, both exist here in Washington state, but the silliness factor feels more toned-down. Maybe our famous cloud cover makes us wish someone would paint more primary colors and smile-worthy images on our buildings.

Karen Goncalves, Bellevue, Wash.