Sounds of Silence, by Bob Andres

In many noise ordinances, it has been common practice to exempt certain types of noise from controls in the public interest. Such exemptions typically include emergency service work, emergency vehicles, farm equipment, special events with a permit … and church bells.1...

Webster’s New World Dictionary describes noise (noiz) as “a din of voices; clamor, or any ‘loud, disagreeable sound.’” Wikipedia notes that “in common use, the word noise means any unwanted sound.” In relation to sound, noise is not necessarily random: “Sounds,...