Posted on 06/24/2005 9:19:29 AM PDT by CHARLITE
June 23, 2005 saw the end of Amendment V to the US Constitution. Although this profound occurrence has been mentioned by our mainstream press, I have been shocked that it hasnt been more vigorously reported and pursued. This decision undermines the very fabric of the United States of America. These are not dramatic for the sake of drama statements. This is what has actually occurred. The Amendment V clause to which I am referring is: nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation. Five individuals have decided that public now means private. Thursdays 5-4 SCOTUS ruling, says that if cities believe that a private developer can erect structures that will raise more tax revenues than citizen-owned homes and/or businesses, these homes and businesses can be condemned and confiscated by the cities.
The public use portion of the clause has now been effectively extended to include private use. The American Dream of home ownership is now effectively dead, or at the very least has turned into a nightmare. This SCOTUS ruling now allows the seizing of private property by any extremely wealthy developers who want to seize anyones land and can propose a project for a citys increase in tax revenues.
The case upon which the US Supreme Court based its decision included the planned demolition of 15 privately-owned homes in the Fort Trumbull area of New London, Connecticut. A private developer initially planned to build an office complex and a $350 Million research center adjunct to the nearby Pfizer pharmaceutical company. Therefore, in 2000 the City of New London condemned the privately held homeowners properties in order to make way for the private developers plans. Until Thursday, the case had been in litigation, had worked its way through the Connecticut court system and finally reached the US Supreme Court. SCOTUS agreed to hear the case, leading to Thursdays ruling, which has now dismantled the 5th Amendment.
In its ruling that Eminent Domains public use clause actually includes private use (if the private users have enough money), the US Supreme Court has now given cities and municipalities virtually unlimited latitude in deciding whose properties may be taken. Privately owned properties can now be appropriated at will. This is the most prime example of judiciary activism, to date. For the sake of the inordinately wealthy, our Supreme Court has done away with property ownership for the many to place it into the hand of the few. In essence, these SCOTUS activists have bypassed Socialism, altogether, and rendered the decision that takes us firmly and inevitably into Communism with the stroke of a pen.
Does anyone remember why our founders and ancestors fought the American Revolution? It was not just about tea. It was about the inherent rights of individuals and a countrys self-determination that included, at its base and within its foundation, private property ownership; ownership that would no longer be given or taken away by a king. Now, however, it can be taken away by activist judges. The ramifications of this decision are as wide-sweeping as is our country. If there is the possibility of its being stolen by the state, why would anyone (except the extremely wealthy and the politically-connected) purchase property? It would appear that most of the American people do not yet realize the grave implications of this Supreme Court decision. It affects each and every US citizen, dissolves the primary reason the country was founded and both destroys and eliminates the reason for the establishment of our Republic. If our property can be taken at will, we no longer have any representation at all. And the Republics destruction has come from the hands of 5 people in black robes.
About the writer: Sher Zieve is an author and political commentator. Zieves columns are carried by Mens News Daily, MichNews, US-News, WEBCommentary, Daley Times-Post, The Conservative Voice (for which she also writes hard news) and Conservative Tymes, amongst others. Her columns have, also, appeared in The Oregon Herald, The Dallas Times, Boston Star, Sacramento Sun and on multiple University websites. Ms. Zieve has many requests for interviews and has been a guest on Alan Colmes Radio Show.
As has become one of her trademarks, her commentary contains a fair amount (if not a plethora!) of sarcasm
dedicated to those on the wrong side of political discourse. Sher firmly believes that if Leftists ran the country (and left to their own inane devices), it would be the end of the United States as a sovereign nation.
Comments: szieve@zianet.com
Char :)
Thanks for the ping!
Think it's time to add another ammendment to the constitution? I do.
The sad part is that they only see this as the BEGINNING of the dismantlement of the Constitution when in reality it began when General Lee surrendered at Apottamox(sp?).
Begins? Hardly. The 4th and 5th have already taken big hits for the Drug War.
mark
Or that "private" now means "public" as it were...
Here is an online petition calling for the impeachment of the five "justices" who voted for this abomination:
http://www.petitiononline.com/lp001/petition.html
The developer in this case is a company named Pfizer.
If you'd like to let them know how you feel about corporations manipulating our governments and courts to throw people out of their homes in pursuit of profits, here are some contact numbers:
Headquarters
Pfizer Inc
235 East 42nd Street
New York, NY 10017
USA
Phone
1-212-733-2323
Pfizer Prescription Medicine
1-800-TRY-FIRST (1-800-879-3477)
Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. EST
Legacy Pharmacia Prescription Medicine Questions
1-800-TRY-FIRST (1-800-879-3477)
Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. EST
Pfizer Consumer Products
1-800-223-0182
Monday through Friday 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. EST
Legacy Pharmacia Consumer Products
1-800-223-0182
Monday through Friday 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. EST
Pfizer Animal Health Customer Service and Product Support
1-800-366-5288
Monday through Friday 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. EST
Legacy Pharmacia Animal Health Customer Service and Product Support
1-800-793-0596
Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. EST
Shareholders
Pfizer shareholders of record needing assistance and information.
Phone
1-800-733-9393
Weekdays 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. EST
An automated response system is available 24 hours a day.
If you decide to vote with your feet, here is a partial list of Pfizer products:
Actifed®
Actifed® Cold and Sinus
Actifed® Cold And Allergy
Benadryl®
Benadryl® Severe Allergy and Sinus Headache Caplets
Benadryl-D Allergy & Sinus Fastmelt® Tablets
Children's Benadryl® Allergy and Cold Fastmelt® Tablets
Children's Benadryl® Allergy Chewables
Benadryl® Allergy & Cold Caplets
Benadryl-D Allergy & Sinus Tablets
Children's Benadryl-D Allergy & Sinus Liquid Medication
Benadryl® Allergy Kapseals® Capsules
Children's Benadryl® Allergy Liquid Medication
Benadryl® Allergy & Sinus Headache Caplets & Gelcaps
Benadryl® Allergy Ultratab® Tablets
Children's Benadryl® Dye-Free Allergy Liquid
Benadryl® Dye-Free Allergy Liqui-Gels® Softgels
Children's Benadryl® Allergy Fastmelt® Tablets
Benylin®
Benylin® Adult Formula
Benylin® Expectorant
Benylin® Pediatric
Luden's®
Luden's® Cough Drops with Vitamin C
Luden's® Sugar Free Throat Drops
Luden's® Throat Drops
NasalCrom®
NasalCrom® Nasal Spray
PediaCare®
Children's PediaCare® Cold & Allergy
Children's PediaCare® Long-Acting Cough Plus Cold Liquid and Chewables
Children's PediaCare® Medicated Freezer Pops Long-Acting Cough
Children's PediaCare® Multi-Symptom Cold Liquid and Chewables
Children's PediaCare® NightRest Cough & Cold
Infants' PediaCare® Decongestant
Infants' PediaCare® Decongestant & Cough
Infants' PediaCare® Long-Acting Cough
Sinutab®
Sinutab® Non-Drying Liquid Caps
Sinutab® Sinus Tablets
Sinutab® Sinus Allergy Caplets
SudaCare
Children's SudaCare Nighttime Vapor-Plug Mini Waterless Vaporizer
SudaCare Nighttime Vapor-Plug Mini Waterless Vaporizer
Sudafed®
Children's Sudafed® Cold & Cough Liquid
Children's Sudafed® Nasal Decongestant Liquid
Children's Sudafed® Nasal Decongestant Chewable Tablets
Sudafed® 12 Hour Tablets
Sudafed® Sinus and Allergy Tablets
Sudafed® Cold & Cough Liquid Caps
Sudafed® Sinus & Cold Liquid Caps
Sudafed PE Maximum Strength Nasal Decongestant
Sudafed® Nasal Decongestant Tablets
Sudafed® 24 Hour Tablets
Sudafed® Non-Drying Sinus Liquid Caps
Sudafed® Severe Cold Formula Caplets & Tablets
Sudafed® Sinus Headache Caplets & Tablets
Sudafed® Sinus Nighttime Tablets
Sudafed® Sinus Nighttime Plus Pain Relief Caplets
Unisom® Unisom SleepGels® Gelcaps
Unisom SleepTabs® Tablets
Zantac®
Rolaids®
Dramamine®
Emetrol®
Gelusil®
Kaopectate®
Benadryl®
BENGAY®
Cortizone
Desitin®
Micatin®
Neosporin®
Polysporin®
Proxacol®
Wart-Off®
All Listerine products
All Efferdent Products
Plax
Fresh n Brite toothpaste
All Tucks products
All Anusol products
Hemorid
All Lubriderm products
All Pacquin products
All Purell products
Cornhuskers Lotion
All Bengay products
Cut and paste this as needed, spread the word.
Begins the destruction?
The Constitution is dead.... and with it died our obligations to this government.
What about the first? Gone last year.
Article 1, Section 9, Clause 3:
No bill of attainder or ex post facto Law shall be passed.
Clinton's 1993 retroactive tax increase was the largest in history.
Domestic Violence Law RETROACTIVE
I blame the Democrats for this decision. Why? The answer is can be summed up in one word: BORK.
Robert Bork, a highly distinguished and extremely qualified legal scholar, was vilified by the Democrats when Reagan nominated him to fill a Supreme Court vacancy. The nomination hearings in the Senate were so filled with character assasination, nasty innuendos and dirty tricks that a new verb was created - "to bork" someone is to run their name through the mud for political purposes.
After Bork's nomination failed in the Senate, due to the vilifying treatment he received, Reagan then nominated Kennedy, who was later confirmed.
I cannot fathom a Justice Bork siding on the wrong side of this decision - as Kennedy did.
So, whenever someone from DU or other leftist organization complains about this decision, remind them of Judge Bork and how this decision would have been different if he, and not Kennedy, were on the Supreme Court.
To: U. S. Congress
PETITION FOR REDRESS OF GRIEVENCES
We the People of the United States, do hereby demand that our duly elected representatives in both houses of Congress, initiate impeachment proceedings against the following Supreme Court Justices:
John Paul Stevens
Anthony Kennedy
David H. Souter
Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Stephen G. Breyer
We, the undersigned, consider the Supreme Court ruling in Kelo v. New London, 04-108, rendered June 23, 2005, not only unacceptable, but to be in criminal violation of the Justice's oaths to uphold, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.
Be advised that We the People regard elected officials to be our public servants. Failure to take action against the Justices specified shall be considered support for the decision rendered in the aforementioned case, and will result in our resolve to ensure your defeat in the next election.
Being from myriad political and ideological spectra, we are united in our belief that our right to own property is inalienable.Sincerely,
PLEASE sign the petition - we need to let Congress know of our outrage.
Hell, the left has essentially eliminated the Second Amendment in many states, free speech and free press are only safe if it is pro-leftist. I am afraid that if things continue the way they are going, the only parts of the Bill of Rights that will be left intact are the sections that protect criminals.
I'm beginning to suspect that in the orchestra of life you play the cowbell.
Private property rights and alive and well in my state. Kelo means nothing to us. We did an end-run around the the city managers and developers and successfully pressed our state legislators to pass legislation that prohibits the taking of private property for economic purposes.
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