9th Grade Common Sense
** The following article was given as part of an oral presentation by Hillarie Brace, granddaughter of PLA Vice President Robert Brace, for an oral communications class at General McLane High School. The article has since been published in “The Environment,” released by Green Haven Press and edited by Mary K. Hill.**
Hillarie Brace
Mrs. Kemp
Oral Communications
5 March 2005
Your Property Rights
I want to start off by asking you to take a second and think about your grandfather, or the general image of a grandfather. Now I’m sure you imagine the usual fishing trips, camping, backyard games, and warm hugs. Now let me tell you about my relationship with my grandfather. He has been fighting the government for his rights for almost 19 years. He is no different than any of your grandfathers; however he has been denied his rights guaranteed to him in the Fifth Amendment of the United States Constitution, and because of this he has not gotten to know his grandchildren like he should. We can thank the United States government for that. They showed up on his family farm in 1987 and told him he could no longer use a piece of his land, which, if put to its best use, would have an estimated value in excess of three million dollars. He did not only lose this profit, but was also forced to pay taxes and legal bills. This was all because the land fell under the category of “wetland.” Now I understand the importance of wetlands and am not here to tell you that they aren’t important; we need to realize, however, that as our government tries to protect the wetlands, they are ruining our nation. We need to educate everyone on this vital matter, before it is too late.
First, you have to realize how our government works. When you think of the government, you generally think of a system that helps the common good, all people. But if you believe that, you are mistaken. Yes I will agree that the government does help most people, however they do not help all of us. Slowly they are taking away our private property, making it public property, and destroying our nation. Picture this: you are fresh out of college, newly married, and are looking for somewhere to settle down. There is a beautiful one-hundred acre piece of land for sale with a price tag that fits your budget. The possibility remains, however, that the government will step in, once you have purchased it, and tell you that you must vacate it, return it to its natural state, and still pay taxes on it. You most likely are not going to purchase this land, correct? This threat does exist, however most people are not aware of it. The government can step in at any time and take your land away, whether you think it is for a good reason or not. We need to educate everyone about this, especially those who are in high school, so that we may change this before it gets to far out of hand. If not we may find ourselves in that situation.
Next, you need to realize that this does affect you. While speaking with Mrs. Kemp last week on this issue, she told me that it will not affect anyone in this room for quite awhile, however I believe this is not true. My grandfather has been on his own since age fifteen, has been farming since this time. We are all at the age where we are beginning to think about our futures. Some of us are thinking about college, taking interest surveys through the guidance office to find out what types of careers we may be successful in. Others in this room will be heading off to college in the fall, and the rest lay somewhere in between. No matter where you are at, you are mostly likely thinking about your future, myself included. Each and every one of us has high hopes it will be the very best. So why not start now to make these changes, so that they do not suddenly come upon us and startle us. When Bob Learzaf’s uncle made a purchase of a parcel of land in 1923, he assumed, like anyone would, that he was guaranteed his rights by the Fifth Amendment and the land would remain rightfully his and in his family unless he sold it. This is not the case. In 1996, Bob was now the owner of the land, and he was told that he must vacate the property and burn his cabin. We need to get the word out about situations like this and educate ourselves so that we don’t become victims like Learzaf.
Lastly, I would like to bring to your attention that all of us are environmentalists to some extent. We all have probably recycled something at one point in our lives, picked up a piece of discarded trash, and all want a clean environment in which to live. There are those extreme environmentalists, however, which pose a threat to our property. Brock Evans is one of these extreme environmentalists, of private property he says, “Let’s take it all back.” Extreme environmentalists believe that we do not actually own land, they believe that we are just here for a here for a short period of time to care for the land, then we die and someone else takes over that duty. Now I agree that we are only here for a short time and that once we pass away, someone else will take over our duties. I do not believe, however, that we do not own land. We pay a purchase price, taxes, and other fees to maintain the land. Extreme environmentalists, with their attitude towards the whole thing, however, will do whatever it takes to deprive an individual of their private property. Even a piece of seemingly dry land may be considered wetlands if the choice of classification falls into the wrong hands. If we educate ourselves and our peers, we will have a much better chance at protecting ourselves from facing this horrible situation.
In conclusion, I am asking you to educate yourself and those around you about property rights. This way, when you purchase your property, you will not be denied the rights guaranteed to you by the Fifth Amendment of the United States Constitution, and your land will remain your own.
Bibliography
Lamb, Henry. 13 January 2005. Feds say: burn your cabin or go to jail.
“Victim Update: Bob Learzaf.” Pennsylvania Landowner Spring 2000:8.
Walters, Timothy Robert. The Endangered American Dream. Srafford:Rawhide Western Publishing, 1995.