While on an evening bike ride with my oldest son, we reminisced about one of the first government meetings we attended together — an annexation hearing before our county commissioners. Looking back, we agreed that the meeting turned out to be an invaluable opportunity to witness government in action.
At the hearing, the attorney for the petitioner — a single property owner seeking to be annexed by the local city — presented first. The attorney stood at the podium holding a small folder. He began, “We present the completed application and forms as required by law. We believe that we have met all legal requirements. We therefore ask that you grant the petition as filed.” He sat down.
Next, a long line formed to speak against the annexation. For the next hour, as the commissioners quietly watched, my son and I listened to folks demand a claim to the petitioner’s property. Not one speaker questioned the legality of the petition. We left.
Days later, I read in the paper that the hearings were scheduled to continue for two weeks. In the end, the petition — which everyone agreed was legal — was denied.
This singular experience showed us that government is not based on laws, it is based on arbitrary power. And that ownership of property is a dead concept in these times of positive rights.
Of course, the opportunity to witness government in action is always a great way to understand our current state. But I must warn you that afterwards you will see your neighbors in a new light.
