It’s understandable that some residents, if not all, are not happy with these ordinances in place, that prohibit being on your rooftop or parking on your own lawn, as it is your own property.

It’s a justifiable opinion that any reasonable person would understand and listen to.

Ultimately, all of these laws are precautionary and are aimed to first and foremost protect people, but the main reason these ordinances are in place is to protect East Lansing residents from students and itself.

People would like to think that college kids have common sense, but the fact of the matter is that common sense is not that common.

People hear the horror stories about students drinking and heading to the roof, and then one of them falls to their death, or takes roman candles, light them off and begin pointing them at each other.

Students sometimes can lose control of themselves so to have these ordinances in place is a good thing to try to reel them in and keep them safe from themselves.

And no permanent residents should have to deal with drunk college students lighting off fireworks at three in the morning while their children and themselves are trying to sleep.

They’re all in place for a reason because there have been instances of incidents like these before.

Not all of these laws are necessary, such as the ordinance stating residents’ grass must be “no longer than an inch, less than six inches,” or parking on lawns when the driveway is already full.

They’re just cosmetic and in place to make East Lansing a better looking place. It wouldn’t hurt to have them retracted or replaced from the city code, but they’re in it for a reason.

Nobody wants their house to look like it’s in the Amazon with 15-inch grass or their lawn is holding its own little car show, so why not follow those ordinances?

Even the simplest cosmetic ordinance in place makes the city a better place to live and look at.

These ordinances are here to serve not only the city’s best interest, but the residents and students as well.