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Lessons from the Kelo Decision

Discussion in 'Political Debate & Discussion' started by poncho, Jul 7, 2005.

  1. poncho

    poncho Well-Known Member

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    One week after the Kelo decision by the Supreme Court, Americans are still reeling from the shock of having our nation’s highest tribunal endorse using government power to condemn private homes to benefit a property developer. Even as we celebrate our independence from England this July 4th, we find ourselves increasingly enslaved by petty bureaucrats at every level of government. The anger engendered by the Kelo case certainly resonates on this holiday based on rebellion against government.

    The City of New London, Connecticut essentially acted as a strongman by seizing private property from one group of people for the benefit of a more powerful private interest. For its services, the city will be paid a tribute in the form of greater taxes from the new development. In any other context, what’s happening in Connecticut properly would be described as criminal. However, the individuals losing their homes understand that stealing is stealing, even if the people responsible are government officials. The silver lining in the Kelo case may be that the veneer of government benevolence is being challenged.

    Kelo has several important lessons for all of us. We are witnessing the destruction of any last remnants of the separation of powers doctrine, a doctrine our founders considered critical to freedom. The notion that the judicial branch of government serves as a watchdog to curb legislative and executive abuses has been entirely exposed as an illusion. Judges not only fail to defend our freedoms, they actively infringe upon them by acting as de facto legislators. Thus Kelo serves as a stark reminder that we cannot rely on judges to protect our freedoms.

    It is folly to believe we will regain lost freedoms if only the right individuals are appointed to the Supreme Court. Republican presidents, including conservative icon Ronald Reagan, have appointed some of our very worst Supreme Court Justices. In today’s political context, it frankly matters very little whom President Bush appoints to replace Justice O’Connor. Even the most promising jurist can change radically over the course of a lifetime appointment. We are supposed to be a nation of laws, not men, and the fixation on individuals as saviors of our freedoms is misplaced. America will regain lost freedoms only when her citizens wake up and reclaim a national sense of self-reliance, individualism, and limited government. A handful of judges cannot save a nation from itself.

    Ron Paul
     
  2. KenH

    KenH Well-Known Member

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    Excellent points by Congressman Paul. Thank you for posting this, poncho.
     
  3. JGrubbs

    JGrubbs New Member

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    "America will regain lost freedoms only when her citizens wake up and reclaim a national sense of self-reliance, individualism, and limited government. A handful of judges cannot save a nation from itself." [​IMG]

    Bump!!
     
  4. JGrubbs

    JGrubbs New Member

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    Ken, would you vote for Ron Paul, if he were running for President in 2008?
     
  5. KenH

    KenH Well-Known Member

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  6. JGrubbs

    JGrubbs New Member

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    Even though he voted against the invasion of Iraq and is in favor of bringing the troops home?
     
  7. KenH

    KenH Well-Known Member

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    Yes. I would trust Ron Paul to abide as close to the federal constitution as any person can. I wish there was a way to convince him to run for president in 2008.
     
  8. poncho

    poncho Well-Known Member

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    Did you read the whole article Ken? There is more if you click on Ron Paul's name at the bottom of the post in case you hadn't noticed. And your welcome. [​IMG]
     
  9. KenH

    KenH Well-Known Member

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    Yes, I did. [​IMG]
     
  10. JGrubbs

    JGrubbs New Member

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    If Ron Paul ran in 2008, I believe I would be voting for him with you as well. [​IMG]

    I wonder how many othe conservative voters who say they don't like the Constitution Party because of it's stand against the war in Iraq would vote for Ron Paul in spite of him sharing the same stand as the Constitution Party.
     
  11. Daisy

    Daisy New Member

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    State law would be the place to start as the state has authority over local municipal governments.

    A Constitutional amendment would give the Fed say over how the State handles its own affairs - I don't think anyone wants more of that than we already have.
     
  12. OldRegular

    OldRegular Well-Known Member

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    And all these years I thought that the liberal left had the interests of the working class at heart. Or is this true only if they are in the same category as George Soros or Kennedy or Kerry or ad infinitum.

    Well in any event the liberals on the Supreme Court proved me wrong. Well actually they proved me right since I never bought that crap that they were for the working man, they are only for POWER as long as they exercize it.
     
  13. ASLANSPAL

    ASLANSPAL New Member

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    "exercize"...I like it! a new word from OddRegular

    don't tell me its a hybrid between exercise and
    exorcism..wow you are such a Professor Irwin<gig>
    so do we jog in place until all the demons are
    wore down and must have shot of whiskey.

    [​IMG]

    so before you next hit of Chocolate cake and get
    a rushed sugar high ..let me help you out ..Google
    now has a tool bar that will help you spell.

    We all need it from time to time, I hope that helps.

    Can Also suggest you take the courageous initiative
    and start your own topics about how much you dislike this person or that group or that woman.

    then its all yours! and I and others will not get
    the feeling of being hijacked by someone totally
    over dosed on sugar. ;)
     
  14. church mouse guy

    church mouse guy Well-Known Member
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    Ron Paul ought to run for cover, not President. Can you imagine a libertarian in the White House? We would capitulate on Iraq, as we did in Korea and Viet Nam, and then we would have to say that prostitution would have to be legalized, drugs would have to be legalized, and abortion would have to be legalized, and same-sex marriage would have to be legalized.

    The government has no right to take another man's property just to hand it over to another private developer. That is like Ahab who allowed murder to occur so that he could have a vinyard that he wanted. One hopes that there will be a payday someday for these foul judges.
     
  15. KenH

    KenH Well-Known Member

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    Yes. I would love to see that happen. [​IMG]

    I think Ron Paul would make a great president like the last libertarian president we had - Grover Cleveland. [​IMG]
     
  16. KenH

    KenH Well-Known Member

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    I think it was Eugene McCarthy back about 25 years ago that I heard state that the president should be a Libertarian, the Congress should be controlled by the Republicans, the State governments should be controlled by the Democrats, and the local governments should be controlled by the Socialists. [​IMG]
     
  17. OldRegular

    OldRegular Well-Known Member

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    My recollection of McCarthy is that he thought everything should be controlled by Socialists, or worse. It was people of his mentality that contributed to the defeat in Viet Nam.
     
  18. church mouse guy

    church mouse guy Well-Known Member
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    How did Grover Cleveland, the last good Democrat, get put into the libertarian party? I would think that Clinton would be a better libertarian--if it feels good, do it.
     
  19. Daisy

    Daisy New Member

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    Were Nixon, Kissenger and McNamarra liberals? They were in charge of the Vietnam War at its end.
     
  20. OldRegular

    OldRegular Well-Known Member

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    I believe that McNamarra was the Sec. of Defense under Johnson. By the time Nixon was elected the mood of the country had been so corrupted by the Communist sympathizers that all Nixon could do was try to disengage. Recall thet the war in Viet Nam was a war against Communism.

    Read the story of the democrat convention in 1968 and you will get a sense of the mood of the country then, at least those who were vocal.
     
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