Eminent Columns

Out of all the columnists that I read, I like picking on George Will because he so specifically takes a position, citing countless examples over and over that when he misses an obvious example, it makes me oh so very happy.

One of my favorite George Will themes is his railing against government’s use of eminent domain. (A cause that I am sympathetic to myself.) What does it say of George Will though that he misses an example so glaring that even The Daily Show picked up on it?

This small town’s citizens in Mississippi have been saved not by legal action from eminent domain, but by an organization that has birds as a priority. The only reason why George Will may have missed this story is because his head exploded. Let’s look at the ingredients as to why this is what I would call “George Will Bait.”

First, we have the main topic, which is a town’s citizens fighting to protect their interests from the encroaching eminent domain claims from their local government. Second, their grievances (as I’m sure George Will would put it) have been ruled against and been saved by a loophole in the bureaucracy that Will makes a living railing against. And if you’ve seen George Will write about the court system (9^th circuit anybody?) then you’ve probably read him at least once this year. Finally, of all the organizations to help these citizens, it’s the Audobon society, which went to Mississippi after Hurricane Katrina to help birds in the first place.

So, George Will missed the boat on this one. Or, he just hates poor people. What? I didn’t say he did, I’m just saying that it is within the realm of possibility, by 100%.