20 June 2008

Freedom Of Movement

There's been some news about the Iowa State Patrol arresting a guy who attempted to bypass a police road-block to return to his home to see how much damage there was from the flooding and to salvage what he could.

The police are barring residents from returning home "for their own safety".

I have some mixed feelings about this. The core of my misgivings is from, "If there is one place where I definitely have a right to be, it's my own home or property." If I have a right to be there, you have no power to bar me from getting there. This is how rights are supposed to work folks.

Some objections I am hearing:

"But it's dangerous!" OK, so it's dangerous. Warn me that it is. Warn me that emergency services are not available. Warn me that looters are being shot, so don't be outside of where you have a right to be. Once that's taken care of, I am on my own and nobody else can be held liable for me being crushed by my roof if it collapses on me while I am attempting salvage.

"The police have a duty to protect you!" They do? Then why all the court cases where they fight tooth and nail to avoid being held accountable for the death of a given person?

I have more, it just hasn't jelled into a coherent post yet.

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