symphony orchestra.rnThe street preachers argued that their First Amendmentrnrights overrode the interest of the community, and that streetrnpreachers could not judge what volume was too high under therndictates of the ordinance. The City Council replied that “thernvitality of a nation’s cities and towns depends upon the abilityrnof local government to enact reasonable laws which promoternthe quality of life of the community.” One owner of a downtownrnshop testified that it was impossible to carry on a conversationrnand that customers often fled to escape the noise. Cityrnofficials feared that economic viability of the restored downtownrnarea was at stake. Fortunately, the South CarolinarnSupreme Court deemed the ordinance constitutional.rnRecently, my wife and I spent a fall in San Francisco. We sawrnthe most aggressive begging we had ever encountered. Onernman told us that if we did not give him a donation, he wouldrnrob us next time. A clampdown on aggressive begging is underwayrnin San Francisco, as well as in many other cities. The issuernis not homelessness, as social activists like to claim; it isrncommunity, and the desire to stave off urban decline.rnIn both Chicago and St. Louis, groups of welfare mothersrnhave tried to strengthen their local communities by cleaning uprntheir housing projects. They passed tenant rules which forbaderncarrying guns or selling drugs within the projects. The ACLUrnpredictably sued, arguing that the rules, which required searchingrneach person upon entry, infringed on people’s rights. Therncourts, however, upheld the women’s actions, pointing out thatrnthe tenants could indeed set standards and evict people who violaternthose standards set by and for the community.rnIn short, tolerance in moderation is a safety net, but unlimitedrntolerance breeds chaos and crime, the very opposite ofrncommunity. Adam Smith’s model of the “invisible hand”—rnwith every person pursuing his own selfish interest—may producerna prosperous economy, but it does not build a community.rnIt leaves us a collection of disparate, autonomous, andrnunconnected individuals.rnCommandment X: A community needs government itrncan trust. Waco, Whitewater, Ruby Ridge, and the widespreadrnaversion to the special interest money that plays too large a rolernin the election and reelection of politicians and in the laws theyrnmake—all of these show that we are coming perilously close torna complete breakdown of faith in our federal government. Pollrnafter poll shows that confidence in government and politics arernat an all-time low. Some distrust of government is healthy, butrntoo much distrust leads to anarchy. We must restore some levelrnof confidence in the problem-solving machinery of society.rnThe bottom line is this. We can no longer take “community”rnfor granted in the United States. There is too much tension,rntoo much misunderstanding, too many separate tribes yelling atrneach other. It is a dangerous situation, and if our country andrnculture are to survive and prosper, we must first salvage thatrnelusive concept of community.rnA Woman I Knowrnby Katheiine McAlpinern”I’m bored with beingrna wife and mother.”rnMoved out on hubby,rnin with a lover.rnSeventeen yearsrnshrugged off. “Of coursernhe better not planrnon a cheap divorce.”rnAnd the kids? I ask.rnIt seems they’d ratherrn(unsurprisingly)rnlive with Father.rn30/CHRONICLESrnrnrn