Has Tombstone Become the Town Too Dumb to Die? - Part V

In Part I, we discuss the new handbill crackdowns and how small businesses are being seriously harmed. Part II details the pending closure of Fourth and Fifth Streets and the unintended consequences. In Part III comes the lurid tale of mayhem outside of the OK Corral. The Incident at Six Gun City goes under the microscope in Part IV.

We conclude our Horse Opera with the morality play entitled Would Wyatt Earp make his horse wear diapers?

A source who once worked in Tombstone reminded me of one of the Town Too Tough to Die’s less than stellar moments. About 14 or so years ago, the powers that be decided the horses pulling the various stagecoach rides were pooping too much on the city streets. The usual source of horse-you-know-what street cleaners decided they were not being paid enough to shovel horse-you-know-what. They quit. There was no one to shovel horse-you-know-what. Someone had the bright idea to force the stage owners to put diapers on their horses so there would be no horse-you-know-what on the paved streets of Tombstone.

There was no end to the hilarity, the t-shirts, and the slogan, “Tombstone: The Town Too Tough to Diaper!”

In many ways Tombstone is no different than any other small town, USA. The usual suspects (names and faces interchangeable) in small town USA always have the best interest of the town at heart when they start making changes. With those changes and good intentions come the unintended consequences, many of which do more harm than good, and can inadvertently ruin the lives of good, decent people.

This is a cautionary tale. One of our current national discussions is just how big the Federal government should be. What will be the consequences of a large, seemingly overreaching Federal government? How ever-present is “Big Brother”? Unfortunately, we have a tendency to forget that small town government can sometimes be more destructive than anything the Feds could ever envision.

When one is battling the Feds over some overreaching of government — be it imminent domain, a tax lien, or the new interstate highway coming through the neighborhood — people in a community band together. Neighbors who have never said more than a curt “hello” are suddenly allies. But it can be different when these changes take place in a small town. Instead of banding together, neighbor can turn on neighbor. Your best friend may soon become your worst enemy. Suddenly the busybody across the road is your staunch defender.

Article Author: SJ Reidhead

SJ Reidhead is the author of two western novels, and several books about Tombstone and Wyatt Earp. She blogs at The Pink Flamingo. While she is highly critical of the influence of far right conservatives on her beloved Republican Party, her first …

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