Go ahead and hit me with something else.
Two things are disturbing me today; the Supreme Court has decided that I really have no property rights and the US House of Representatives has decided we need to protect the US flag from desecration with a constitutional amendment. I'm not sure that I haven't just witnessed the true end of America as I know it by these two acts.
Now the US Senate still needs to pass the resolution on the flag amendment and that doesn't seem to be going to happen but that doesn't negate the fact that the House that represents the people in the US government has decided that the people can't be trusted in their protests against the symbols of the government. These representatives see their place is on the side of government over the people when it should be on the side of the people over the government.
The Supreme Court decison, though, is done. We don't have another body to protect us from this decision. However, I am particularly proud of Justice O'Connor's dessent."Any property may now be taken for the benefit of another private party, but the fallout from this decision will not be random," O'Connor wrote.
"The beneficiaries are likely to be those citizens with disproportionate influence and power in the political process, including large corporations and development firms," she said.
I'm also pleased with Justice Thomas' dissent."So-called 'urban renewal' programs provide some compensation for the properties they take, but no compensation is possible for the subjective value of these lands to the individuals displaced and the indignity inflicted by uprooting them from their homes," he said.
The only condolence I have in this is that this was a 5-4 decision and the question may come up again. Unfortunately I don't see much to make me think the decision will be much differnt.
[Listening to: Smoke Along The Track - Emmylou Harris & The Nash Ramblers - At The Ryman (04:17)]
Now the US Senate still needs to pass the resolution on the flag amendment and that doesn't seem to be going to happen but that doesn't negate the fact that the House that represents the people in the US government has decided that the people can't be trusted in their protests against the symbols of the government. These representatives see their place is on the side of government over the people when it should be on the side of the people over the government.
The Supreme Court decison, though, is done. We don't have another body to protect us from this decision. However, I am particularly proud of Justice O'Connor's dessent."Any property may now be taken for the benefit of another private party, but the fallout from this decision will not be random," O'Connor wrote.
"The beneficiaries are likely to be those citizens with disproportionate influence and power in the political process, including large corporations and development firms," she said.
I'm also pleased with Justice Thomas' dissent."So-called 'urban renewal' programs provide some compensation for the properties they take, but no compensation is possible for the subjective value of these lands to the individuals displaced and the indignity inflicted by uprooting them from their homes," he said.
The only condolence I have in this is that this was a 5-4 decision and the question may come up again. Unfortunately I don't see much to make me think the decision will be much differnt.
[Listening to: Smoke Along The Track - Emmylou Harris & The Nash Ramblers - At The Ryman (04:17)]