I don’t spend a lot of time on social media, which might make me in the minority these days. But I do read enough to justify growing concerns about how we’ve turned hating on each other into a national pastime.
Forget all those divisive posts (if only we could) that have something to do with Charlie Kirk or Jimmy Kimmel or critical race theory or immigration enforcement.
These days you can be be publicly called out for the color you paint your home.
And I’m not talking about some outlandish hue like purple or orange or lime green. Or red, white and blue, for that matter – which in this hypersensitive political era could lead to some interesting debate.
No, in this case, the owners of a beautiful home on the West Side of Aurora decided to give the exterior a different look by choosing the color — get ready for this — white!
That’s right, these upstanding residents of this fair city had the audacity to alter the original brown brick. And in doing so, according to that little-known law enforcement unit called “The Paint Police,” they committed the most grievous crime in the history of mankind.
Or at least in the history of the neighborhood.
After all, what person in his or her right mind would smother the natural “breathability” of brick with a coat of paint?
Turns out, quite a few.
In the last few years alone I’ve seen three of my four daughters-in-law whitewash their fireplaces. And they look great. I’ve also recently watched neighbors a few houses down the street do the same to their large brick home.
Guess what? That looks awesome, as well.
Which is probably why the trend of white-painted brick has become so popular in the last decade, and is especially common in suburban renovations and farmhouse style homes, as well as older homes being modernized.
Great for curb appeal, say Realtors, which is important if you are trying to sell your property.
Turns out that is indeed what these homeowners are in the process of doing. And that led to accusations on this social media page of house-flipping – another mortal sin in the eyes of some folks who have nothing better to do with their time.
Indeed, after someone posted a before/after shot of the property, asking about the history of the house, plenty of negative comments followed, including these jewels:
“Poor thing. Looks like it got scalded.”
“Shame on the flipper. I hope it doesn’t sell.”
“Awful choice … lost its integrity and beauty. Sad to see it like this.”
Another poster declared how “devastated” she was after discovering the house had been painted.
Really? Devastated? As in “emotionally overwhelmed with shock, grief or distress?” As in “physically destroyed or ruined?”
Words matter, folks. Especially if it’s gossip shared on a public forum.
To their credit, there were a number of people who jumped into the discussion to temper those negative comments or show support for the homeowners.
And in case facts still matter, some people offered up a few. They were details I checked myself by picking up the phone and talking to a few people close to the homeowners.
For one thing, I learned that the white cover-up in question isn’t even paint but a type of stain which generally does not harm bricks.
I also found out that the owners were not house-flippers but a family who purchased this home and planned to stay in it for a long time. Unfortunately, after putting a lot of money into renovations, their personal circumstances dramatically changed.
In other words, life got in the way. But at least they have a life.
“I simply don’t understand why people have to be so mean,” noted one astute poster. “In the very divided world we live in, there are countless other problems to occupy your time and thoughts. It’s a house. A beautiful home.”
Fortunately, while most of us have viewpoints about what someone does to their property, they usually stay in our heads or we share them with the dog and/or a partner as we walk our neighborhoods.
Now, however, everyone has the ability to offer their opinions to the world. Even worse, they feel as if they have the right to do so, no matter how hurtful or just plain wrong they are.
Talk about a stain on who we are as a society – one that history won’t be able to whitewash.
dcrosby@tribpub.com
