My letter to our local newspaper. Saxby Chambliss' hometown. His daughter married my cousin.
Dear Editor:
The recent ruling of the Supreme Court has many people more than just worried. Many fear for the one of the very things they hold most dear, their homes. Homes some have worked a lifetime for, raised children in, had holidays, grandchildren even generations, only to have a private developer come in under authority of the city, take your land, raze your home to the ground and build a shopping center. All under the auspices of tax revenue. The sad part? It is completely legal, based on a ruling from the highest court in the land.
Congress has the power to prevent this, but rather be concerned about private ownership, they are more concerned with flag burning and are planning to amend the Constitution to that fact.
The Supreme Court has ruled in the past that flag burning is protected under the First Amendment. Our House of Representatives, banding together against the Supreme Court’s previous rulings of flag burning, have successfully passed an amendment against desecration of the flag. This amendment is on the way to the Senate for the two thirds vote required to amend our Constitution.
Essentially, it will be perfectly legal for Moultrie or any city to come and take your home away, paying fair market value (so what if the value is less than your mortgage?) to build a private business but yet we will not be able to burn a flag. Destroy your home, but not a flag. Makes perfect sense to me!
There is a war in Iraq, fighting in Afghanistan, we are still looking for bin Laden, and gas prices are continually going up. But our elected officials find it more important to protect a flag than our private property. They will rise up in protest for a flag, but not for your private property.
Do not misunderstand my letter. I take serious issue when my flag is mistreated. I turn the channel or look away when I see anti-Americans burning my flag in protest. However, if it is allowable for a city to burn my house down all in the name of progress, but a citizen cannot burn a flag as a statement of free speech, something is wrong, terribly wrong.
The big question is, will Congress amend the Constitution to protect what is legally yours if they are willing to stand up against the Supreme Court over flag burning?
Think about that. I am, and it scares me.
Another good letter. Hopefully, these letters are making it past the staff of the congress.