Case in point. James Davis, of Stevenson, AL, buried his wife in his front yard. He says it was her request just prior to her 2009 death. I submit that doesn't matter.
The city immediately decided they needed to tamp down on this obscene use of private property and avoid setting a precedent. Why, without action everybody might decide they don't have to buy a burial plot or pay for a cremation, and just do it themselves! On their own land! We couldn't possibly have that. So they sued to have the body moved, a suit which they won, but which is being held up during an appeal.
Now, whatever your feelings about the propriety or "weirdness" of burying your wife in your front yard, there are only two sides to the argument of whether or not he should be able to. Either it's his land and he should be able to do what he wants on it, or it's the government's land and he is merely being allowed to use it.
I think you guess which side I take. I think it's creepy to bury your wife in your front yard. I think you should have every right to do it. I think it's creepy to put a whole through your earlobe that is larger than your fist. I think you should have every right to do that, too. There are a lot of things I think are weird, or creepy, or uncouth. That doesn't mean I believe the government should have the right to stop you.
And, in case you think I'm exaggerating about the two positions being about who actually owns the land, take a look at this quote from the article, and see if you can spot the unspoken premise (emphasis mine, to assist):
City Attorney Parke Edmiston reminded critics that Davis lives in downtown Stevenson, not out in the country.
"We're not in the 1800s any longer," he told the AP. "We're not talking about a homestead, we're not talking about someone who is out in the country on 40 acres of land."
Yes. Because when it is, or whether you live on a farm should have any bearing on your private property rights.
It's not his land to do with what he pleases. The day that we allowed government, whether it is local, state, and/or national, to tax us for our land we became renters.
ReplyDeleteI understand the reason for paying land taxes, but if there is no cut off date (like 65 years old), and the government can seize it for back-taxes, then you never really own it, do you?
Given that situation, it's easy to understand the government minion's attitude that they can tell you what you can and can't do with your own land.
Oh, and I think I'll hang around here a while and read some of your stuff...
DeleteAs long as you don't bring up Aiken. :)
Nope. Beyond yesterday's posts, I have no intention of mentioning a certain Senate Candidate.
DeleteI'm going on record with this.
ReplyDeletePlease don't bury me in our front yard.