No longer is your home your castle

I blogged about the eminent domain issue a couple of weeks ago, but it is starting to hit closer and closer to home and I saw it coming. I knew when the Cowboys wanted to go to Arlington and put the stadium smack dab in the middle of the city that people were going to lose their homes when they didn't want to go. Add to that the eminent domain ruling by the Supreme Court and, VOILA, you have instant ability to move these people out of your way. Who cares if someone's livelihood is tied to that piece of land and possibly has been for years. Who cares if Grandma Smith has lived there for 45 years and doesn't want to lose the home where she raised her children and lived with her late husband. Who really fucking cares?

Obviously not the Arlington City Council who are bending over and taking it like bitches for the opportunity to make more tax dollars from the Cowboys than from the upstanding residents who have made Arlington their home, some for many years.

According to an article in the Dallas Morning News (it is free, but you have to register to access story):
Roger Venables, the city's real estate manager, said City Hall is making progress on acquiring the estimated 141 acres needed for the stadium. The City Council has already approved the purchase of 22 properties, and he said he expects that 10 more will be on next week's agenda.
The council has also voted to use eminent domain on more than 50 properties where the owners aren't willing to sell or are asking for more money than the city is willing to pay. The council will likely vote next week on whether to authorize condemnation proceedings on about 30 more properties.

So, if you don't want to sell for what they want to offer you, guess what? You're screwed. The Supreme Misfits deem that Jerry Jones' deep pockets are more valuable than your home or your source of income. It is a big old middle finger aimed at these folks and it is possibly the most un-American thing I've seen happen in my country for as long as I can remember. I don't think there is much that is more offensive to me than this court ruling. Seems to me that I recall reading somewhere in the history books that our Founding Fathers wanted to guarantee us that the government would not seize our homes. I also recall eminent domain was something reserved for bridges, roads and the public good. I fail to see how a new Cowboys stadium is for the greater good of all people. Entertainment and fun, absolutely. Will I go see a football game? Probably. But, this is NOT right.

Some people are even more incensed than I am and are doing something about it. Have you heard about the proposed Lost Liberty Hotel that may require the home of Supreme Court Justice David Souter for the greater good of the community. The city of Weare in New Hampshire has been requested to use eminent domain to claim his home because the hotel would bring in more tax dollars to the city. It is sick and twisted, but would send a great message to the justices that we won't take this.

I wish I knew what to do and how to change this, but I don't know. I may write my Congressmen and Senators and ask them to enact laws to correct this supreme mistake. I thought the court was there as a system of checks and balances, I didn't know they were there to make laws. And, while I'm on the subject, I hope President Bush appoints someone whose views reflect the Constitution and now their personal agendas. A strict Constitutionalist is what we need on the high court.

*putting away my soapbox*