The colonists of the young American experiment were fiercely protective of their homes and their freedoms. Indeed, they pledged their lives, their fortunes, their sacred honor. The Bill of Rights was a crowning achievement. Now the Founding Fathers must be spinning in their graves. A country founded on the security of one's person and property, now told by the highest court in the land (from which there is no recourse) that private developers can appeal to the city officials, who can use their powers of eminent domain not just to clear the way for public projects such as roads and parks, but also for private developments involving hotels, offices and retail centers.

So if some developer drives by my house in the west valley and sees the possibility of a juicy commercial upgrade to line his pockets, he can appeal to the City of Los Angeles, wine and dine a few officials, and I am forced to sell my home and move. Un-friggin-believable. The city would benefite also by the increased revenue from the commercial development, so why wouldn't they back the developer?

My first thought was along these lines: our government is in the pockets of corporate America. We've gone back to the future of the robber barons, only now with the blessing of the Supreme Court. How would you react if it were your home they wanted for a strip mall (as if there weren't enough of them)?