Thursday, May 27, 2004

Strapped: Unbuckling seatbelt laws

http://www.reason.com/hod/tb052704.shtml

Who's the bigger threat to your safety, a murderer or someone who attempts suicide? The answer is obvious, and we'd certainly jeer any mayor who suggested lowering a city's death toll by cracking down on suicides. Yet something strange happens when death comes to the highway. Politicians lock arms with law enforcement, and come up with campaigns like "Click It or Ticket," which began Monday and aims to reduce highway fatalities through stricter seat belt law enforcement. Suddenly, the murder-suicide distinction vanishes, and it's perfectly acceptable to reduce deaths by punishing those who put only themselves at risk...

People shouldn't be punished for making bad choices as long as what they do doesn't affect anyone else.

Wednesday, May 26, 2004

The war on property

http://www.free-market.net/cgi/redir.cgi?http://www.strike-the-root.com/4/antunez/antunez5.html

Americans who tune in to TV news daily are treated to a unhealthy dose of war, with scenes that include tanks rolling down an Iraqi street or helicopter gunships firing at the “enemy.” Most citizens of the United States view war as something that happens someplace else and to someone else. With the exception of Pearl Harbor , that’s usually been the case. Yet there is War being waged within our borders, a stealth and insidious war that goes unnoticed by most Americans until they find themselves engulfed, entangled and tormented by it.

Property ownership is the backbone of any free and capitalist society (The American Dream). Laws that properly define and defend property rights are essential to any society that claims to be liberated. The United States prides itself on the reputation of being a free and capitalistic society, but with each passing day, the rights of property owners violated and the laws governing property rights grow ever more intrusive. This creates an atmosphere of fear, uncertainty and plain old tyranny in many communities of this once “free country.”

Most municipalities in our country have Code Enforcement Boards or Nuisance Abatement Boards. These boards are comprised of individuals who are appointed by elected officials (Mayor, or Commissioners). The function of these boards is to enforce ordinances and statutes by imposing fines on the “violators,” forcing them to make improvements, or in some cases condemning their property...


If we lose our property rights, what's next. Aside from gun rights, property rights are the cornerstone of American freedom.