A STRANGER IN A STRANGE LAND: FREEDOM & EMINENT DOMAIN

Dear Readers:

There are some days that I truly feel like the proverbial stranger in a strange land, and today is one of them.  I woke up early this morning and did some web-surfing.  In the process of tickling the keys on my computer, I encountered a freedom index, which had been compiled by the Cato Institute.  The index ranks political entities around the world on the basis of rule of law, security, freedom of movement, religion, economic strength, assembly, expression, size of government, legal system, property rights, etc. Believe it or not, the Cato Freedom Index ranks the United States as only the 20th most free country in the world. Places like Hong Kong, Canada, the U.K., Chile, Norway, Luxembourg, Finland, New Zealand, Australia, et. al., are ranked ahead of us.

I suppose, then, that I have reason to sometimes feel that I am having a more and more difficult time recognizing my country.  Occasionally, I even feel grateful that my dad, a bronze star holder who was at the Bulge, is no longer around to witness what is happening to the country that he loved so passionately.

Looking back, my junior year in college saw me getting more serious about this country of ours. I discovered A. Koestler's DARKNESS AT NOON, and from there I went on to Huxley and Orwell.  I recall telling my father during one Christmas holiday how much I appreciated him, and how I thanked my lucky stars that I had the great fortune to be born in America, where we were free of the totalitarianism of both the left and right sides of the political spectrum.  But here, I am afraid, I digress.

I could not help but notice that one of the factors taken into consideration in the freedom rankings was the prevalence of eminent domain, a legal practice which is becoming more common in the U.S.Then, I reviewed the legislation that would put the proposition of a healthcare district before the Cameron electorate; and, as you recall, the right of eminent domain would be a very prominent prerogative of the non-elected board that would be overseeing the healthcare district. For crying out loud!  Don't these state legislators have any idea that their deranged schemes are simply a means of chipping away at the freedoms that we still have in this country?

We must be ready!  We must be organized!  We must be vigilant!  For too long the politicos of South Texas have relied on an unsophisticated electorate and the use of legally questionable electioneering tactics to achieve their ends.  If we are all in together, this healthcare district will never come to pass.

PERGE!

John B.