Eminent domain is a part of our society and utterly necessary if we are to build or upgrade infrastructure. Just a few years ago, I had some of my property claimed in order for the town to install city sewer (they decided a pumping station had to be built in my yard). My lawyer and I negotiated with the town and we came to an amiable and reasonable agreement. I also know somebody who lives near where they are building the replacement for the Tappan Zee bridge. Years of major disruption going on there and the state has obtained some properties already. Others are living through years of noise and construction. It sucks for them but the alternative is having the current bridge eventually fall into the Hudson.
I agree with your wise post. I have an easement on my property that forbids me from fencing off a strip of land. I have had to fight hard to keep people from thinking they can use that strip for their personal recreation purposes; but I was grateful that the easement was there and I had not fenced it off when a forest fire broke out yards away behind my yard and the fire vehicles had a clear access via my easement. Which is what it was intended for.