One Nation Under God, Indivisible, with Liberty and Justice for Some

Ladies and gentlemen, I am calling to your attention today the unjust act of
eminent domain. Eminent domain is an unfair and ultimately cruel law that shows no
regard for the sentiments of the common individual. Let us not forget that this is
America, the "one nation under God, for freedom and justice for all." But how can we
claim to be "for justice for all" when we have such an atrocious law as that of eminent
domain that is practiced so frequently? A law that allows our very own government, who
is supposedly ruled by "we the people", to force us out of our homes without our
consent and turn our safe havens to mere dust so that the property that we have, in all
probability, worked our entire lives towards, can be used to house a new highway, a
government owned building, a public business, or perhaps even another, more wealthy
private individual's home or business that will bring in larger taxes for the government.
This government claims to be a democracy but It occurs to me that such a law as
eminent domain is a law that belongs under the rule of an aristocracy or a dictatorship,
not a democracy. Or perhaps we should call it a hypocrisy.
For those of you who are unaware of the exact concept of eminent domain or
perhaps are unconvinced of its unjustness, allow me to elaborate. According to an
Biersdorf & Associates eminent domain Q&A webpage, eminent domain is the "legal
process that has been established to allow governments to gain ownership of private
property". The process of eminent domain begins with the government attempting to
negotiate a price to buy a person's home, business or property. owever if the property
owner refuses to negotiate and sell their property to the government, the government
then files for eminent domain. The property must under go various tests to determine if
it is fit for whatever should replace it, and the purpose of the replacement must prove to
be for the "public good". !f these re"uirements are met then the property owner has no
choice but to hand over their property in turn for a "fair compensation" which may or
may not match the true value and worth of the property. #ore importantly, this "fair
compensation" can never replace the sentimental values that reside in the property
owners home in which the government has literally demolished, nor can mere money
replace the happiness and memories that have been made in said home. The property
and house may be of great value to the owner but nothing compares to the lost
sentiments. !t is a cruel in$ustice to ta%e them away, unfortunately nothing is being done
to prevent further un$ust condemnation.
&f course there are always the occasional political optimist who will surely have
an economically savvy rebuttal to my argument stating that eminent domain is for the
greater public good and, in many cases, the economic good too. e would li%ely falsely
point out that the government only practices condemnation for a public necessity or
purpose. owever both of these arguments are incorrect because the government can
also use eminent domain to obtain a piece of property and give it to a more wealthy
private individual or business that can ensure a greater ta' income for the government.
(ever mind the hard wor% of the original owner in order to get this piece of property and
whatever resides on it, or the memories made, the family members potentially lost, and
the life lessons learned within those walls that will surely be %noc%ed down by the new
property owner who can afford bigger. This sounds more li%e "$ustice for some" rather
than "$ustice for all" as our own national pledge ensures.
A man named )im *aleet states that he "thought he bought this place. But ! guess ! $ust
leased it, until the city wants it." )im's own home was threatened by his own city mayor
who filed for eminent domain on the dream home that he had wor%ed relentlessly for.
owever, )im and his wife fought the city and won in a law suit. (ot only did they get to
%eep their home but they proved that if we fight for what is rightfully ours, we are not
doomed to the hands of the government.
+minent domain cannot be ignored. ! am here today to declare that such a law should
not only be removed from the fifth amendment, but ruled unconstitutional by the
supreme court.
! am here today to declare that eminent domain is an un$ust law and i shall not tolerate
it.
! am here today to declare that i refuse to become a victim of an un$ust government.
! am here today to encourage my fellow peers to do what we can to protest this unfair
law.
! am here today to ,eclare that i refuse to be a citi-en of one nation under .od,
indivisible, with liberty and $ustice for some.
! am here today to demand $ustice for all.
Than% you for your time and attention.