If it's property they want, it's property they'll get

The Free Liberal ^ | June 29, 2005 | Stephen Gordon

[Georgia_JimD]

"Those who profess to favor freedom, yet deprecate agitation, are men who want crops without plowing up the ground. They want rain without thunder and lightening. They want the ocean without the awful roar of its many waters. This struggle may be a moral one; or it may be a physical one; or it may be both moral and physical; but it must be a struggle. Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will." – Frederick Douglass

While this June has been filled with many “one brick short of a full load” Supreme Court decisions, clearly Kelo v. New London takes the cake. As readers of this website are already acutely aware, the Supreme Court decided to disregard basic property rights in favor of powerful special interest groups. Now is time to do something about it.

On June 15, 1215 A.D., in Runnymede, England, a piece of parchment was signed called Magna Carta – a crucial document which limited the power of the monarchy and affirmed the basic rights of the people in England. This one piece of paper is perhaps the most important single influence to the Constitution of the United States.

Article 39 of Magna Carta read, “No free man shall be taken, imprisoned, disseised, banished nor shall we proceed against or prosecute him, except by the lawful judgment of his peers and by the law of the land.”

The pertinent word in the sentence above is ‘disseise’, which is defined in this manner, “To put out of actual seisin or possession; to dispossess (a person) of his estates, etc., usually wrongfully or by force; to oust.”

From this, the takings clause of the Fifth Amendment of our Constitution was derived. It reads, “[No person shall] …be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.”

With five swift strokes of their collectivist pens, the Supreme Court overturned nearly a millennium of tradition and common law with respect to private property ownership. In Kelo v. New London, the justices decided that not only may the government apply eminent domain in order to construct government roads and buildings, but they may now boot you out of your house if Wal-Mart or the local land developer wants your property.

In so doing, they have granted special status to the feudal lords of the 21st century, namely major corporations, development companies and local government fiefdoms – reverting our system of property ownership back to the dark ages.

Our Constitution is essentially the contract between the people and our government. While the government frequently reneges on this trust, this is perhaps the most egregious case since the birth of our nation. Many are already stating that the decision in Kelo renders the contract null and void.

Henry David Thoreau wrote, “Unjust laws exist: shall we be content to obey them, or shall we endeavor to amend them, and obey them until we have succeeded, or shall we transgress them at once? Men, generally, under such a government as this, think that they ought to wait until they have persuaded the majority to alter them. They think that, if they should resist, the remedy would be worse than the evil. But it is the fault of the government itself that the remedy is worse than the evil. It makes it worse. Why is it not more apt to anticipate and provide for reform? Why does it not cherish its wise minority? Why does it cry and resist before it is hurt? Why does it not encourage its citizens to put out its faults, and do better than it would have them? Why does it always crucify Christ and excommunicate Copernicus and Luther, and pronounce Washington and Franklin rebels?”

In this spirit, his and our predecessors dumped tea in the Boston Harbor. Already, many are calling for civil disobedience. One man is attempting to use this decision to force Justice David Souter from his home -- so that he may establish the "The Lost Liberty Hotel" and "Just Desserts Café" in its place.

All of us may not have the opportunity to dispossess the Supremes of their fine homes. While humorous, some of us may even have moral qualms about the stealing part – even if it is from the enemy.

However, we have the opportunity to act in a totally moral and lawful manner in order to express our discontent. Let’s throw some serious sand into the gears of the government machine. They have asked for real property, so let us send it to them.

Real property (land) is composed primarily of dirt. The entire incident in Kelo is over who possesses a bunch of dirt.

The people in the area in which I live are proud of their soil – as is the case in most other places. Perhaps this eminent domain issue may be remedied by providing the landgrabbers a lot of dirt – enough dirt so they won’t have to steal it from the poor and the elderly again.

Radio talk show host Neal Boortz recently stated, “All property isn't dirt”. However, in this case, it is. Let’s give ’em some!

Some addresses to which you may mail your dirt are:

Dave Goebel Chief Operating Officer New London Development Corporation 165 State Street, Suite 313 New London, CT 06320

Richard M. Brown City Manager City of New London 181 State Street New London, CT 06320

Justice John Paul Stevens One First Street N.E. Washington, DC 20543

Justice David H. Souter One First Street N.E. Washington, DC 20543

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg One First Street N.E. Washington, DC 20543

Justice Stephen G. Breyer One First Street N.E. Washington, DC 20543

Justice Anthony M. Kennedy One First Street N.E. Washington, DC 20543

Stephen P. Gordon is a communications consultant specializing in political, public education, media relations and fundraising campaigns. He is the founder and President of Alabamians for Compassionate Use and the Vice Chair of the Libertarian Party of Alabama. He recently served as Communications Director for the Badnarik/Campagna 2004 campaign.

[redgolum]

Still trying to get equipment for my wife. Working on basic outdoor gear and such. Reloading a lot also.

[Graymatter]

Any lawyers want to inform us regular bozos about the legality of mailing dirt to elite sob's? I'll happily do it if it's legal.

[archy]

It may be that some are going to end up in the dirt.....a possibility that is by no means satisfying to the sane.

The most analagous situation of which I'm aware was the Finnish Civil War of the early XX Century, fought to prevent a national takeover by the Finnish Communists. Casualty figures and details *here.*But a figure of circa 100,000 casualties out of a prewar population of 3 million, during a 4-month fighting period [and the cleanup retribution aftermath] offers a close approximation. Entire pro-Red villages disappeared, erased from the countryside.

The extreme suggests that the Constitution is no longer a valid contract. That could portend a disaster.

Once the contract guarantees of the First, Second or Fourth Amendments to the U.S. Constitution are abrogated, suspended or otherwise broken, it is not just those portions that become moot but the entire document. And if those constitutional abrogators will not recognize my rights under the First Amendment, or the Second, there's no particular reason for me to accept that they have any authority derived under Article 1, or Article 2.

It looks like the best hope would be a more-or-less peaceful seperation of states as per the Soviet Union circa 1991. But I suspect that such an effortis doomed to degrade into a more brutal repetition of the 1861-1865 conflict, though of longer duration and withmuch greater casualty numbers. There'd be no expectation of honourable tratment of prisoners by either side in such an affray and eventual near-total warfare could be expected, as per the Finnish example.

[Dead Corpse]

... who says we have to follow what they say?

The cop or FBI agent with a gun pointed at your head. What most people would refer to as "tyranny" or a "police state", but still others call "law and order" despite said laws and order being contrary to the mission statement (re: Constitution) for this Country.

For some people, all they care is that the trains run on time.

[archy]

Enough. We have had a "bug out" plan since moving and can get to a safe place relatively quickly if the need comes.

I reckon there'll be quite a few FReepers and FReeper families who'll *double up* if it comes to that, sharing a better or better-prepared locale with those fleeing particularly hostile or otherwise untenable locations or situations.

Quite a few of us have been prepared for such contingencies since the possibility of Y2K panic proved tobe a swell training exercise. A few have had *hippocket* preparation in mind well before that. But more and more see what's coming....

Anybody interested in a hospitable corner of Wyomingis welcome to my considerations for that locale; I have the advantage that my granddad's 640-acre Homestead Act tract is located in a rural county there. Mybackupplan is my old Texas digs, which I expect is likely to see some serious difficulties.

But if y'all want a back-up plan to your primary, or a fallback position should #1 and #2 turn out not as expected, stay in touch.

[archy]

These new unconstitutional land grabs authorized by "the supreme court" may be the straw.

I did not swear to God that I would support and defend the Constitution of the United States from all enemies, foreign and domestic, except the supreme court. They're included.

If they have become enemies to that constitution and are a part of its destruction, they're my enemies. It's that simple.

I (insert name), having been appointed a (insert rank) in the U.S. Army under the conditions indicated in this document, do accept such appointment and do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic, that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter, so help me God.

[redgolum]

One of my concerns is fall back #1 is still withing walking distance from Des Moines, and #2 is close to Omaha. I still have family further west, and know a few folks also, so that might be #3.

[CharlieChan]

This is just one more step in the dismantling of America.

Some others:
Tear Down America's history and institutions.
Put corporate profits above all else.
Sell or barter America's nukes and military dual-use corporate products.
Close American military bases, while Communist China is opening new ones.
Export America's best jobs.
Import Illegal Aliens for America's remaining jobs.
Create Congress Districts based on Illegal Alien Census Data.
Avoid using word "CITIZEN" except for pejorative name-calling.
Silence American Free Speech with "sensitivity" and "racist" attacks.

[45Auto]

Speaking of the Finns, here's the Sako M95 chambered in 7.62 x 39, I believe:

[45Auto]

Here's the Sako TRG 21 chambered in .338 Lapua, among other calibers:

[afnamvet]

Our Constitution is essentially the contract between the people and our government. While the government frequently reneges on this trust, this is perhaps the most egregious case since the birth of our nation. Many are already stating that the decision in Kelo renders the contract null and void.

Judicial tyranny at its worst. The Constitution means nothing to this court. They are rogues hellbent on destroying this country with fraudulent decisions.

[lentulusgracchus]

[Little Ray] Rather than defining and limiting the powers of the State, [a Constitutional convention] would try to assign rights to people (by various grievance groups, of course) and end up leaving us with no rights at all.

[Ancesthntr] Let's just hope that the next folks that do so, decide that it isn't the wisest idea to have a "discussion" with the paid servants of the "masters," but instead decide to talk things over with the "masters"

A Constitutional convention to originate amendments is exactly how you hold such a "discussion".

The Old Money, the real powers-that-be, people you've never heard of, will try to send their mouthpieces: brilliant, domineering attorneys, famous senators, eminent statesmen and "Wise Men" frauds, like the frauds that David Halberstam wrote about in The Best and the Brightest, who, when the chips were down and things got ugly during Tet in 1968, simply swallowed their advice and encouragement of six weeks earlier that they had given LBJ face-to-face to "stay the course," and instead advised the President to cut his losses and end the Vietnamese War on the best terms he could get. Johnson was stunned, and after the "Wise Men" (Averell Harriman, George Kennan, Robert Lovatt, and the rest of the roll call) had left the conference room, leaving LBJ and a few of his aides to confer, LBJ said nothing for a while, and then murmured, "Somebody poisoned the well."

Identifying and neutralizing the mouthpieces in convention will do one thing: it will finally strip the Old Money of control of the national agenda and return it to the People. The key is to ensure that all the convention delegates are local people, independent people without ties to regional banking or law firms that in turn have important business connections back East: that, after all, was how Theodore White, in his Making of the President series, explains that Old Money controlled the GOP in the 1940's and 1950's -- through the New York law firms and their regional "farmout" connections.

A convention, therefore, wouldn't be a walkover for Big Money and the Establishment, if the People control the selection of delegates -- and carefully exclude known "players" and mouthpieces of whatever local Regency has been arrogating the right to sit on the People's faces, like the Texas Big Rich who buy and sell governors and senators and walk around the floor of the Texas Legislature handing out envelopes with checks for $10,000 in them as "thank-you's" for passing helpful legislation, like Bo Pilgrim, the chicken magnate, once got caught doing by a TV camera in the gallery. (The state senators had to give the checks back, when the media showed up in their offices asking about them.)

[planekT]

Bump.

[lentulusgracchus]

I selected 7.62x54R myself......dirt cheap, even the better Czecho silvertipped stuff, and the acid primers make you clean your weapon, but it keeps "forever". Long arms with good reach in that, plus a semiauto shotgun with an eight-round magazine for close in, and some compact, lightweight sidearms .... I can arm several of my neighbors, or carry a New York reload or two myself.

And Barrett Arms is about 24 miles down the road.

[45Auto]

if the People control the selection of delegates

That's the rub. Too many people have too much vested interest in screwing up the Constitution in one way or the other. The sad fact is I don't trust anyone living today to mess with the Constitution. I fear that we as a Republic are going down a one way road - and there's no turning back - without major unpleasantness.

[Centurion2000]

bump

[Jacob Kell]

"It looks like the best hope would be a more-or-less peaceful seperation of states as per the Soviet Union circa 1991."

No, the best hope, IMHO, is for us to put pressure on the government to impeach those black-robed Stalinists. Weren't almost all of them appointed by Clinton, and Souter tricked us by pretending to be a conservative? I think that we should not be quite about all this, but raise such a stink that those schmucks in the government basically have no choice but to pay attention.

BTW, thanks for answering my mail about the JFK asssasination. Did you receive my other mails?

[redgolum]

7.62X54R, good round. Gave the Nazi's a lot to think about. Pretty much a 30-06.

I prefer the .308. Got 800 rounds of FMJ stockpiled (friend bought it at a gun show for a rifle he later sold, so he gave it to me) plus my reloads. Makes a good deer gun, and ammo is easy to find.

[Iscool]

Many are already stating that the decision in Kelo renders the contract null and void."

The way I see it, the Supreme Court has become null and void...The contract is still good...

[Iscool]

The Supreme Court determines what the Constitution "means". Stupid system. Our ancestors were suckers to fall for it.

I don't believe that's accurate...The Supreme Court wants us to believe that tho...

As far as I know, their job is to determine whether/where a law fits within the framework of the Constitution...The Constitution doesn't need interpretation...We already know what it says and means...

The SC is making new laws...