Encroachments of Liberty

 

America - land of the free. Or so we are told. But is it really a free country?

At one time, it was. Citizens were free to pioneer, settle, farm, create, build - all without much government interference, as the Founding Fathers intended. And for almost two centuries, Americans could actually claim that they were a free people.

And then, with the presidency of Woodrow Wilson, then Franklin Delano Roosevelt came a new, liberal, socialist line of thinking. Government began encroaching on American liberties, restricting what we could and could not do.

Granted, the government has every right to restrict freedoms in areas that directly affect the health and welfare of the general public. But when something has no obvious effect on the health and welfare of anyone else, does the government still have a right to interfere? The answer, according to the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution is "NO".

Take zoning, for example. Zoning laws are, for the most part, unreasonable and in violation of our natural rights. While the government has an obligation to protect the citizenry, they have gone far beyond that. Zoning that prevents a property owner from causing loss to a neighbor is certainly laudable - we all need protection from those who would run a toxic dumpsite next door to our home.

But it is when zoning laws are written for purposes that violate our rights that we must stand up and fight back, or gamble on losing ever more freedom.

Here is an example. I live in a tiny, rural farm community no one ever heard of, in Maine. My home has been a farmhouse for over 100 years, nestled on almost 15 acres of farmland. On the north border is woods, leading to another home. On the east is woods, leading to the local swimming hole. On the west is a large farm, raising beef. On the south is another personal residence.

For reasons that make no sense whatever, the zoning board decided to zone my little farm property, nestled in a rural area, as "commercial" property. As such, I am no longer permitted to having the same rights as a "residential" homeowner.

The people whose residences are zoned rural, or residential, can upgrade their homes, simply by getting a building permit. They can add on, build a garage etc. But if a property is zoned commercial, you may not do those things without going before the zoning board and getting their permission, which is difficult, if not impossible to do.

I discovered all this when I decided to add a sunroom to our home. It would have been on the side of the house, with the nearest property line over 200 feet distant. A sunroom on my home, which has zero effect on anyone else in the entire world, could not be built because my rural farm was classified as "commercial", for no reason at all. My property cannot be used for commercial purposes - it is on a class IV road, and heavy trucks are not permitted during much of the year. So much for deliveries or shipping! Where is the "commercial" use?

So, I have to ask - if a "FREE" citizen is not allowed to build a sunroom on their home, even though it has no effect on the health and welfare of others, is that not an unreasonable encroachment on our liberty? Of course it is.

Frankly, I think it is high time the American People stood up and demanded to take back their country, and their liberties. Certainly, we must allow the government to regulate things that affect the general public, but otherwise "butt out" of our affairs.

A free man should not have to fight for permission to make a better home for his family, or to pave his driveway, or build a garage to protect his vehicles.

Think about it, folks! Look around, and see what liberties have been taken from you. Isn't it strange that the very same liberals who cry out for "freedom of choice" when it comes to killing babies - those same liberals tell us that "freedom of choice" does not extend to OTHER choices - only the ones on their agenda. When it comes to abortion, there is a constitutional "freedom of choice". But when it comes to choosing what to do with our homes, or whether we wear a seatbelt, or anything else of personal importance, those same liberals tell us there is no constitutional "freedom of choice". Simply put, liberal lawmakers want power over us - and they pass laws that over-regulate. And regulation = lost freedom. That is what socialism is all about. Liberals are socialists. And socialism requires that we give up many of our personal freedoms, and have the government run our lives for us, from cradle to grave.

So, which is it? Is there a constitutional right to free choice, or not? If yes, liberals must be prevented from robbing us of those choices. If no, then Roe vs Wade must be overturned. Can't have it both ways!

But as long as the good people of this great nation choose to accept such encroachments, and not fight them, then the liberals will win, and Socialist America is not far off.