Flight 93 families ask Bush to OK land seizure

[Kevin_Kennedy]

Or as one writer put it, "Please Steal That Land For Us: We're Victims."

Relatives of those who died aboard United Airlines Flight 93 want the Bush Administration to seize the land needed for a memorial where the plane crashed in Shanksville, Pa., in the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

The Families of Flight 93 sent a letter earlier this month asking President George W. Bush to empower the Secretary of the Interior to take the land in dispute from a homeowner who had been in negotiations with the National Parks Service, said Patrick White, vice president of the families' organization.

Flight 93 families ask Bush to OK land seizure - Yahoo! News

Flight 93 was a terrible tragedy, there can be no doubt about that. But what right does the government have to steal that land from a private company?

My favorite quote from the whole article is, "White said Svonavec has not been willing to negotiate, and called that unacceptable." This company doesn't have to negotiate, it's their property!

 

[garyd]

That would be an absolutely horrible precedent to set.

 

[jillian]

Or as one writer put it, "Please Steal That Land For Us: We're Victims."



Flight 93 families ask Bush to OK land seizure - Yahoo! News

Flight 93 was a terrible tragedy, there can be no doubt about that. But what right does the government have to steal that land from a private company?

My favorite quote from the whole article is, "White said Svonavec has not been willing to negotiate, and called that unacceptable." This company doesn't have to negotiate, it's their property!

Eminent Domain has existed since William the Conquerer in 1066. That's where the right comes from.

Eminent domain - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Now, if you want to discuss whether you agree or disagree, that's another issue. But in terms of the "right", it exists without question.

 

[garyd]

Emminent domain must have limits or government is little more than petty tyrant. What I am trying to say here is that if yoiu choose to memorialize every tragedy on the spot at which it occurred pretty soon the only available jobs will be monument polishers.

 

[DiveCon]

now, if this was to take the land from one owner to give/sell to another, that would be an abuse of the system
but this, a memorial, is exactly what the Eminent Domain was designed for
if the owner is holding out just for more money, then too damn bad

 

[alan1]

now, if this was to take the land from one owner to give/sell to another, that would be an abuse of the system
but this, a memorial, is exactly what the Eminent Domain was designed for
if the owner is holding out just for more money, then too damn bad

Still private property.
The government has no business taking possession regardless of the circumstances.

 

[Kevin_Kennedy]

Eminent Domain has existed since William the Conquerer in 1066. That's where the right comes from.

Eminent domain - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Now, if you want to discuss whether you agree or disagree, that's another issue. But in terms of the "right", it exists without question.

I am aware of Eminent Domain, and clearly disagree with it. I do not acknowledge the right of the government to steal from an individual or private company.

Did you not say to me earlier, "The Constitution was in fact intended to limit governmental control over the individual..." If that's the case, why do you acknowledge the right of the government to steal land from this company?

 

[Kevin_Kennedy]

now, if this was to take the land from one owner to give/sell to another, that would be an abuse of the system
but this, a memorial, is exactly what the Eminent Domain was designed for
if the owner is holding out just for more money, then too damn bad

Yes, too damn bad that a private company doesn't want to sell it's property, so let's just take it from them.

 

[DiveCon]

Yes, too damn bad that a private company doesn't want to sell it's property, so let's just take it from them.

they dont just "take it"
they pay a reasonable value for it

 

[dilloduck]

they dont just "take it"
they pay a reasonable value for it

Same thing---the fact that you even have to pay taxes to keep the land you own already sucks.

 

[alan1]

they dont just "take it"
they pay a reasonable value for it

Well, golly gee,
that all sounds so reasonable now
as long as the government pays its own declared "reasonable value" for what it confiscates, it all makes perfect sense.
<sarcasm intended>

 

[WillowTree]

It's immoral!

 

[DiveCon]

It's immoral!

to set up a memorial for the victims of flight 93?
its not like it would fit in somewhere else
they crashed where they crashed

 

[Steerpike]

I do not think in this case the government should be able to force a sale of the land. Eminent domain should be limited to public necessities such as infrastructure, etc. when other options are limited. It should be used extremely sparingly.

 

[Kevin_Kennedy]

they dont just "take it"
they pay a reasonable value for it

Reasonable value for something that somebody does not wish to sell is not reasonable, it's stealing.

 

[Kevin_Kennedy]

to set up a memorial for the victims of flight 93?
its not like it would fit in somewhere else
they crashed where they crashed

Exactly, they crashed where they crashed. Why should the company that owns the land have to pay the price for something they had no hand in?

 

[Steerpike]

to set up a memorial for the victims of flight 93?
its not like it would fit in somewhere else
they crashed where they crashed

It doesn't have to be located there to be an effective memorial. There is a WWI memorial and museum in Kansas City, and to my knowledge none of the events of WWI transpired there.

 

[DiveCon]

Exactly, they crashed where they crashed. Why should the company that owns the land have to pay the price for something they had no hand in?

ah, ok, so fuck the memorial
doesn't ANYTHING have meaning to you anarchists?

 

[WillowTree]

to set up a memorial for the victims of flight 93?
its not like it would fit in somewhere else
they crashed where they crashed

Yes, even for a memorial. I think the owners are somewhat stingy, but it's immoral to take what is theirs. I don't think anyone will forget Flight 93 anytime soon.

 

[Kevin_Kennedy]

ah, ok, so fuck the memorial
doesn't ANYTHING have meaning to you anarchists?

I didn't say fuck the memorial, I said that the government should not steal land from a private company to put the memorial on. If the company wishes to sell, and they come to an agreement with those that are trying to get the land then that's great.

I would not define myself as an anarchist. Property rights have meaning to me.