June 23, 2005

From My Cold Dead Hands . . .

In what is set to become a sweeping and disturbing precedent, a split 5-4 Supreme Court has ruled that a municipality can steal your property and give it to private developers for the "good of the community"

It used to be that the Constitution meant something to the law. The Fifth Amendment allowed the taking of property by eminent domain for the "public good", that is to allow for the building of schools, hospitals, roads and other "public" facilities. Never was a community allowed to steal your property and give it to a private interest so that private interest could make money. Did it happen anyway? Sure. Now, however, the Supreme Court has rubber-stamped any such takings.

LISTEN UP PEOPLE! This means that your town or boro or city can take your land and home and put up a shopping mall and you can't do jack about it!

Yep, they will say the area needs to be "revitalized" to cure blight and they will steal what is yours from right under your nose. This is the liberals at their finest. And Gun Toting Lib, I don't mean you! I mean those so-called "progressives" who are really socialists in sheeps' clothing. The liberals who are all for the redistribution of private property "for the good of the people." To them I say over my dead body!

Now, I live in a very rural community that could benefit from a hotel, shopping mall, hell even a restaurant. I have 13 acres and small house. My land is prime location for such a private development, but I dare anyone to come upon my land and try to take it. When I say dead body, I mean dead body. I will take several people with me on my way out of this life. The perils of trying to steal one's castle, I guess. I will not roll over on that. I will get my family to saftey, say my goodbyes and then pick people off, one at a time, until I myself have perished. I will not go willingly, quietly or without fight.

The Constitution GUARANTEES certain rights. In some instances those rights have been expanded by the courts to include property rights, now the right to your property has been eviserated.

When your home is razed to build a strip mall you can no longer complain. Socialists with their agenda have taken your right to complain away. Oh and private developers and big business don't get off here either. They take advantage of your loss of property and benefit themselves.

I don't buy into the crap that "this will revitalize the community and bring in jobs." Here's one for ya! Hotels hire, for the most part, immigrants for the housekeeping and blue collar work. The desk clerks, at least at the fancy hotels, come from other countries and proudly display that fact on their name tags. So much for "jobs for the community." Oh sure, there will probably be a Walmart to work in, maybe even a new TGIFridays, but at what cost? The cost of someone's property and freedom to live without interference thereon.

I will never, ever visit New London, CT. I will never, ever stay in the fancy waterfront hotel, visit the museum or shop in the strip mall. I will never, ever tire in telling others to shun New London, CT. People's homes, lives, memories, are being stolen to benefit the government of New London, CT, and soon your town.

Watch your back my friends. That prime piece of real estate you sit on, the home where you raised your kids, may just be sold to the highest bidder, by your own government. Think you get some of that "fair compensation?" Think again. The government will pay you bupkiss, and then sell it to some developer for prime dollar.

Nope, you can't blame this one on our current sitting President. This is all on so-called-Judges who think the Constitution and its guaranteed protections are worthless.

Again I say, "over my dead body!" You may take my land, but not before I take some of you out!

Posted by Oddybobo at June 23, 2005 11:41 AM
Comments

I couldn't believe it when I saw it. My hubby forwarded the news article to me. (I don't get to watch much tv with 2 kids). I am not happy about this. I agree with you... over my dead body (and a few others)

Posted by: vw bug at June 23, 2005 01:59 PM

Time to slap a fresh clip in your mailbox & go huntin' bureaucrats :-)

Posted by: Harvey at June 23, 2005 02:46 PM

Yes, this is just the latest step in the march toward a socialist utopia, where the government decides what's best for you and your family, even if it means turning you out of your home so that the "community" can be the recipient of someone else's largesse. I'm a couple of hours away from New London, and I am appalled that this could happen in my state. Hey, if you can't get what you want via the voters, get it through the courts. That's why Bush's appointees have gotten so much grief. I am thoroughly disgusted with the whole thing!!!

Posted by: Pam M. at June 23, 2005 03:59 PM

You are exactly right Pam. Bush's appointees would, hopefully, curb some of this dictating from the bench. I feel for you, living in a nearly socialist state!

Posted by: Oddybobo at June 23, 2005 04:46 PM

Thanks for the honorable mention, BOBO :-)

I cannot freaking BELIEVE this happened! The SCOTUS needs to be bitch-slapped for this one! And the last one (medical marijuana)! What a bunch of kooks.

Posted by: Gun-Toting Liberal at June 23, 2005 09:38 PM

So I take it, if you are for property rights, you are for flag burning. People who burn the flag, are burning the ones that they bought, it is their property (not yours) and so they can do with their property as they see fit. If you are consistent on this issue, then you are far ahead of your conservative friends.

Posted by: Tony Martin at June 24, 2005 05:02 AM

You are correct Mr. Martin. While I respect the flag, no revere the flag, I do not think it is this government's place to tell me what I can and cannot do with one I purchased. Not to mention that we still have free speech (or at least we do in theory) and while I don't like it, it is a form of free expression. If we hold as free expression the "Piss Christ" we damn well better hold flag burning in the same vein. And do be so quick to judge my conservative bretheren, much like liberals, the loudest spoken are usually the minority, but because they are the loudest, the label for the respective sides automatically reflects their beliefs.

Posted by: Oddybobo at June 24, 2005 09:47 AM

All I can say is wow. How freaking sad!

Posted by: Sissy at June 24, 2005 09:50 AM

Hey, that happens, send out a call to arms. it's amazing what "antique" artillary can do to moral. :)

Posted by: Contagion at June 24, 2005 10:34 AM

I'll bet you all as much as you have in your banks and wallets that money was involved.

Think about it for a second, these nine judges are all people who own their own houses and property and love owning their own property. They would never want their house taken away from them to build a new shopping mall or Safeway or whatever. Now, if you look at the fact that four, of the nine, voted no and a convenient five voted yes, there's nothing in the world that would make me believe anything but bribery.

I think that for decisions like this, they should appoint nine judges, and up until the very last moment, these ARE the judges that will decide, even they don't know they're really just scapegoats, and on the day of the vote everyone is replaced by people who have had no idea that they would be judges in the matter. Then they are watched by hawks (figuratively, of course!) to be sure that nothing exchanges hands.

I guarantee you they would not have voted to ruin some family's life. These businesses are going to make a lot of money, they know that fifty grand to some judges is nothing compared to what they'll make after it's been finished. It's like doctors that treat a cancer patient for free, they know that when the news gets out about them being such wonderfully nice people, there's a good chance that more people will go to them.

Just once I'd love to get some pictures of a judge taking a bribe, I would blackmail the S out of them, THEN, I would turn in the pictures and start a big deal and make 'em lose their jobs. It's like being a rat in jail, but these guys completely deserve it. And, of course, there's next to no chance that I'll get shanked afterwards. ;)

Posted by: Stephen at June 24, 2005 04:38 PM

Like you, I live in the country. Like you, my land is a prime target for developers (people come by wanting to buy land once or twice a month). Like you, I'm enraged.

This is a great post - may I use it for your Cotillion entry?

Posted by: MaxedOutMama at June 26, 2005 09:55 AM

Property is property, right?
Any personal posession is part of your property. Land, house, car, gun, ...

The constitution suffered another kick in the nuts in this case, and people are totally up in arms about it (including me). I have yet to hear of anyone 'for' this decision, except 5 supreme court morons, and the muffled roar of an indeterminate number of developers everywhere stifling moans whilst creaming their jeans.

Funny though, how a big chunk of the population thinks it's okay to step all over the second ammendment trying to take away other personal property which we have a right to own.

Posted by: Dave S. at June 28, 2005 07:45 PM

Outstanding! Over my dead body indeed. It's remarkable that the highest court in the land, or a majority of it, anyway, treats our Constitution no better than the roll of paper you (hopefully) find in any restroom. When will it end? Now, with Sandy O'Conner calling it quits, the Dems are gearing up for a big brawl in the Senate. It's unfortunate the President didn't already name a nominee... then we'd really have some fireworks for the Fourth.

Posted by: Logan at July 3, 2005 05:55 AM

Very nice! I'm putting you at my favourits. http://www.dontevercallmyname2.com , http://www.dontevercallmyname3.org

Posted by: John Reed at August 10, 2005 10:37 PM