How the City Council Can Truly Affect One's Life

This has nothing to do with Newport Beach, but I thought this was an interesting story.

From all the way across the Country in Tennessee is this article from CNN.com about a man who killed himself, in front of his City Council, after a zoning vote goes against him.

"Ronald "Bo" Ward, owner of Bo's Barber Shop, had told the council his business would go under if he couldn't get his home rezoned as commercial. After the 5-7 vote Thursday night, Ward stood and walked toward the council.

"Y'all have put me under. ... I'm out of here," he said before shooting himself in the head with a small handgun."

I've made fun of our Newport Beach City Council's gadflies in the past, linking to this site for the Gadfly Hall of Fame.

But...sometimes, while it's easy to not take the City Council and their potentially crazy actions seriously, sometimes, the issues that they handle are very serious to others.

Sometimes, as it appears, gravely serious.

I'm sorry if I've made light of some Newport Beach issues which may be considered paramount to others.

...and perhaps our City Council should take note of how one of their "simple" decisions can truly affect someone's life.