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Tonight we are no longer a free country (vanity)
6/23/05 | Self

Posted on 06/23/2005 8:06:55 PM PDT by Blood of Tyrants

Everybody knows about the shot that was heard around the world as the birthing pains of this once great nation. Today, sadly, we may have heard it's death knell.

It did not come with violence or shots fired. It came with the virtual elimination of personal property rights.

Our founding fathers knew how important the ownership of property was and sought to protect the right to be secure in the ownership of property to the extent that they enshrined the guarantee that property would not be taken for public use without due process and just compensation.

For over 200 years it was understood that "public use" meant that the ownership would transfer from the private owner to the local, state, or federal government for things such as military bases, roads, schools, prisons, etc. Now, the meaning of "public use" has been altered by 5 people who were never elected to office and in all reality, are completely unaccountable to anyone, to mean privately owned condos, shopping centers, and business parks under the thin guise that those enterprises would contribute more tax money to the coffers, thus increasing the "public good"

Justice Stevens, writing for the majority said that judges should give city councils and state legislatures "broad latitude in determining what public needs justify the use of the takings power," he added. To make sure that he wasn't misunderstood he added, "The city has carefully formulated a development plan that it believes will provide appreciable benefits to the community, including, but not limited to, new jobs and increased tax revenue," and just destroyed any pretence that you have any recourse whatsoever if the government or county decides that they want your property for any reason at all.

Sandra Day O'Connor writing a scathing dissent correctly said that now rich and politically land developers and businesses could basically take your land away from you with the help from the local government. Yes, you could fight it in court, but it is now fruitless as you are guaranteed to lose in a fixed fight.

For years the people have for the most party sat quietly as the government stole more and more freedoms from us. Prior to 1914 and fool could take any drug he or she wanted and kill themselves, thus increasing the quality of the gene pool for the rest of us. Before 1918, the government had no claim to your wages and could not tax them. Prior to 1934, Sears sold machine guns from their catalog and nobody thought anything about it. Prior to the 1950's preachers could freely endorse or denigrate any political candidate they wanted, just as had been done since the very first town government was formed in this country almost 350 years prior. Since 1986 it has been illegal to manufacture and sell a machine gun to a civilian despite the fact that in the past several decades the number of people int he US murdered by a person with a machine gun has been exactly one, and the person doing the shooting was a police officer using a gun issued to the police department.

But hope is not lost however, ownership of real property does a funny thing to people. It is a spot that a person can say, "This land is MINE!" with a dedication and a fierceness that is somewhat scary. Religion and politics and abortion and the WOT all take a back seat when two neighbors are faced with having their property stolen by the government.

Maybe that bell sounding isn't the death knell but the alarm.

Maybe this will awake the sheeple to realize that the socialist have gone too far.

Maybe the bell is just signalling round two of the Revolutionary War.

Will this war be fought with bullets or ballots?

We shall see.


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; Government; News/Current Events; Your Opinion/Questions
KEYWORDS: court; crime; domain; eminent; kelo; landgrab; property; rights; supreme
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1 posted on 06/23/2005 8:06:57 PM PDT by Blood of Tyrants
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To: Blood of Tyrants

bttt


2 posted on 06/23/2005 8:08:26 PM PDT by pax_et_bonum (Three guys walked into a bar. The fourth one ducked.)
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To: Blood of Tyrants

Whatever! At the risk of the thought police, I hope all these yahoos know that when they come for my property, any number of them are at risk? Hope they pack a lunch, it's going to be a long, deadly day.


3 posted on 06/23/2005 8:12:23 PM PDT by texaslil (and)
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To: Blood of Tyrants

I agree, something needs to be done


4 posted on 06/23/2005 8:13:31 PM PDT by Vision (When Hillary Says She's Going To Put The Military On Our Borders...She Becomes Our Next President)
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To: Blood of Tyrants

What if the government decides it would generate more revenue if you were dead and it took your stuff?


5 posted on 06/23/2005 8:13:52 PM PDT by thoughtomator (The U.S. Constitution poses no serious threat to our form of government)
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To: Blood of Tyrants

"It came with the virtual elimination of personal property rights."

I had the same thoughts as I read the news of this. This is it folks, we have lost the essence of freedom in this scotus decision and we lost it during a republican administration (who'd a thunk?)

It's only a matter of time before it is used as a dirty political revenge modus operandi. Hillary must licking her chops tonight.


6 posted on 06/23/2005 8:14:15 PM PDT by Domestic Church (AMDG...)
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To: Blood of Tyrants

excellent essay


7 posted on 06/23/2005 8:14:49 PM PDT by cyborg (http://mentalmumblings.blogspot.com/)
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To: Blood of Tyrants

"Our" land hasn't been our land for some time now.

Don't pay property tax, they take it.

They tell you how you have to keep it, what you can do with it, when you can do what you want with it.

Try cutting down a tree... Try building something on it...

The government is everyone's landlord - don't play by their rules they evict you.


8 posted on 06/23/2005 8:15:08 PM PDT by DB (©)
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To: Blood of Tyrants

The continuum of property rights ends at the fillings in your teeth and the mineral content of your cremation ashes. Spectacularly bad decision today and completely anti-American.


9 posted on 06/23/2005 8:15:26 PM PDT by WorkingClassFilth (NEW and IMPROVED: Now with 100% more Tyrannical Tendencies and Dictator Envy!)
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To: Blood of Tyrants

I haven't seen this in the news. In fact, I have seen very little news lately because I have been busy. I just see a few headlines, and catch a few stories, but not nearly as much as I ordinarily try to see.

A five to four vote with O'Connor writing a scathing dissent which I think I agree with? I simply must read more. I am out of the loop here.

Still, your vanity post is great.


10 posted on 06/23/2005 8:15:49 PM PDT by Radix (I was looking for a Tag Line when I found this one!)
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To: Blood of Tyrants
Maybe this will awake the sheeple to realize that the socialist have gone too far.

Must you refer to the American people as sheep? Kind of works against your premise that the right of private property should be kept for all Americans.
11 posted on 06/23/2005 8:18:04 PM PDT by Terpfen (New Democrat Party motto: les enfant terribles)
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To: texaslil

I'm with you, FRiend.

Consider this a public notice: If the State comes for my property, they had best send a SWAT team first.


12 posted on 06/23/2005 8:19:39 PM PDT by clee1 (We use 43 muscles to frown, 17 to smile, and 2 to pull a trigger. I'm lazy and I'm tired of smiling.)
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To: Blood of Tyrants

This is a substansial step toward socialism. But it is not
the first.


13 posted on 06/23/2005 8:19:48 PM PDT by RWCon (P)
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To: Radix

what if the government decides that joe blow will build a much nicer and bigger house on my land than my itty bitty one, thus generating more tax dollars and take it away??

does ruby ridge sound familiar???


14 posted on 06/23/2005 8:20:27 PM PDT by annelizly
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To: Abram; AlexandriaDuke; Annie03; Baby Bear; bassmaner; Bernard; BJClinton; BlackbirdSST; ...
Libertarian ping.To be added or removed from my ping list freepmail me or post a message here
15 posted on 06/23/2005 8:21:57 PM PDT by freepatriot32 (www.lp.org)
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Comment #16 Removed by Moderator

To: Blood of Tyrants
Excelent analysis.

From time to time, the tree of liberty must be watered with the blood of tyrants and patriots. --Thomas Jefferson

17 posted on 06/23/2005 8:23:58 PM PDT by TheOtherOne (I often sacrifice my spelling on the alter of speed™)
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To: RWCon

No, it is not. But it is the most critical.


Remember this date. June 23, 2005. It will be the date in history where Lady Liberty's back was broken or where she was awakened from a long slumber.


18 posted on 06/23/2005 8:24:27 PM PDT by Blood of Tyrants (G-d is not a Republican. But Satan is definitely a Democrat.)
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To: brityank

It is getting very, very close.


19 posted on 06/23/2005 8:25:14 PM PDT by Blood of Tyrants (G-d is not a Republican. But Satan is definitely a Democrat.)
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To: Vision
"Something needs to be done."

It begins and ends by ramming unequivocally conservative SC judges down the throat of Democrats to the betterment of the Republic.

Enough GOP appointed Souters, Kennedys and O'Connors.

Dubya Bush had better come up BIG.

20 posted on 06/23/2005 8:25:18 PM PDT by F16Fighter
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