Government doesn't exist independently of citizens. Government is or at least should be, a group of individuals who represents the best interests of all citizenry. So when we say that Mapleton City wants a ten foot wide section of the "Gibby Property" and Mapleton City doesn't want the "Gibby Property" developed, by extension it should be fair to say that you as a citizen of this community don't want the "Gibby Property" developed and that you want a ten foot wide section of the "Gibby Property". While this may be true you may want those things (the extension of them being a pristine view of the mountain and a continuation of the "Bonneville Shoreline Trail), it isn't right for us to take those things away from the legal owners of that property.

Those wise men who framed our Nation and wrote the Constitution gave our government the legal right to take land away from private citizens for the public good. The right to do so is called eminent domain. There is no doubt that this right is absolutely necessary, however, there is also no doubt that this right should be reserved for extreme circumstances. Wisdom and judgment should be the watchwords of it's use. Recently across our nation there have been numerous abuses of this right of our government. More correctly there have been broader definitions of "public good". One case recently caused some uproar when the Supreme Court found in favor of the municipality and against the home owners. There was a story about it in the Washington Post.

It is easy to for us to see the public good in this case before us. It is however a bit harder to see the other side of the scenario. What if the "public good" was a park to be put on your block. Undoubtedly it would be for the public good. Kids would have a safe place to play. Is it absolutely necessary? No, but it is for the public good. What if city officials bulldozed your fence to make sure everybody had access to it?? What if the city only bulldozed your fence and left your neighbors fence standing? Would you have the courage to stand up to the government alone? Would you want your neighbors to stand up with you? Do you have enough money to fight the legal battles that the city will start? What if the city started using schoolyard-bullying tactics? Could you stand the embarrassment of arrest? What if the charges were trumped up? How would you react? Would there be a counter-suit?

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