This is one of the most nonsensical, dangerous things I’ve heard in a long time. During this era of nonsense and danger, that’s saying something.
According to the left-most justices of our “illustrious” Supreme Court, local governments can use the police power of government to expel citizens from their homes to make room for new Wal-Marts and mini-malls. With this decision, the Supreme Court has given the finger to the Fifth Amendment of our Constitution:
No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offence to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.
“Due process of law” and important “public use” are no longer requirements to take away one’s property. Now, all that’s necessary is a greedy city council and a wealthy entrepreneur who wants to make a bit more money. This is exactly the kind of action, taken by a strong and intrusive government, that would make the teeth of Thomas Jefferson gnash in agitation. (I refer readers here and here, for starters.)
Americans who cherish their freedom must act against this scourge. Go to the web sites of the House of Representatives and the Senate, find the contact pages of your representatives and senators, and tell them to do all they can to oppose eminent domain for the spurious benefit of private businesses. Write Letters to the Editor of your local newspapers and post to Internet message boards as well. Do not vote for any politician who speaks in favor of eminent domain abuse.
Ladies and gentlemen, we can take back our country. Let’s get to it.
Addendum: Castle Coalition, a group fighting eminent domain abuse, is worth visiting.
About the Author
I'm Jason Vines, a web developer at a research institution in Washington, DC. I graduated from George Washington University with a bachelor's degree in political science, with a minor in journalism. I enjoy philosophy and web scripting, as well as reading, writing, history, video games, travel, and photography.
