tfl: The Flatiron Life

This past weekend, Joscelynn’s family threw a baby shower for Jonah. The shower was in Jos’ hometown of Brookston, IN. Brookston is a typical little Hoosier town. It has a couple bars, a gas station, pizza shop, and some other shops.

My understanding of showers is that men are generally not invited and likely discouraged from attending. This being the case, I made alternate plans. I had planed to pass the time at a cafe that I knew had Wi-Fi, however on Saturday this was on the fritz. In lieu of catching up on my reading, I decided to go for a walk around town.

Saturday in Brookston was hot, but amazingly beautiful. The sun was bright in the brilliantly blue sky lightly packed with majestic clouds. A picture perfect day. I grabbed my camera from the car and started to wander around town.

Brookston, like all other small towns in the Midwest, has a skyline dominated by one building rising above all the other buildings and the trees as a reminder of why the town is there in the first place, a grain elevator. Elevators are beautiful and remind me of everything great about my childhood. I have great memories of going to the Co-op in Gessie with Grandpa Miller and Ryan just to hang out. The Co-op is where Grandpa spent much of his time when he was not working. The elevator is the hub of farming life; this is quite natural because that is where the money is. The elevator is a bank for grain and your sales agent when the market is right. In most communities it also provides agri-services during the whole year, from spreading fertilizer to grain drying and a wide range between.

Another reason to notice the elevator is that we are at the hight of harvest and there were semis rolling in and out of town all weekend long. Of course, I was drawn to this traffic mixed with my above described affection for elevators. I started down Wood St and realized it was going to be an even better day for pictures than I had thought. The grass was so green, soaking up the last bits of summer light they could. The sun was reflecting amazingly off of the buildings. I started snapping.

I took a couple pictures as I approached the elevator and framed up a couple more. Something I try to keep in mind while taking photos is to not get over zealous. I strongly support the right to private property. However, while photographing I have to remind myself that no matter how good a shot might look a couple feet into someone’s yard, I ought not be in their yard unless I have received permission. This is as true for giant multinational companies like ADM, who cooperate the Brookston elevator, as it is for individuals. The elevator also had posted “no trespassing” on its welcome sign. There was not a fence marking the property but I made my best guess that the road leading to the scales and parking lot off of Wood St was private property.

I took a couple more pictures I had been framing. As I snapped the last one, a truck pulled up. There were two men inside who did not identify themselves. The passenger said I could not take pictures there. I said OK and started to walk away. I figured I must have crossed the property line unknowingly and was willing to reverse that. As I walked away, the passenger demanded I give him my camera. I said “No, I am not giving you my camera.” He had a look of astonishment that I still see plainly in my mind today. A look that said he fully expected me to just give him my property while his sat in a running vehicle.

After my denial I continued to walk away and the men exited the truck and radioed to their boss. They repeated that I could not take pictures there and for me to give them my camera. Then they stopped me in my tracks by saying they would call the sheriff. I am brave and principled, but I didn’t want to spend the night in Monticello even if I know I would win in the end.

I told them I would erase the pictures I took on their property. The first man came over and watched me remove those pictures. He then wanted to see the picture before that. When I showed it to him, he said I had to delete it too. This picture is clearly taken from the middle of the public street and I was not going to remove it.

And then I was implicated as a terrorist.

I said he could make me remove a picture I had taken on public property. He said I could not take pictures of the elevator. His partner repeated the threat of calling the sheriff. I asked what the sheriff would tell me, is it illegal to take pictures from public property in White County? The second man then asked if I had “a hard on for elevators”? The first man rightly sensed his friend had said something stupid and inappropriate and tried to silence him, but I took the opportunity to respond that I was fascinated by elevators and grow up around them.

They again repeated that I had to hand over my camera because you cannot take pictures of the elevator. “You know with all the stuff going on.” I don’t think I am stretching to connect the dots to the “war on terror”.

I repeated that he could not dictate the pictures I took on public land. I said something to the effect of, “Is’t the distinction between public and private property along with being secure in ones property the foundation of America.” He said these days maybe it is, maybe it isn’t. “What do you think!? Do you think about what YOU believe?,” I said.

I never heard his response because his boss pulled up. The boss asked what was going on and the man accurately explained. The boss had a look like, “big deal.” And he said it was fine and let me go.

After this, the elevator became even more of a focus of my pictures. but I will never be able to replace the two amazing pictures I deleted. And nothing will return elevators to only places of good memories.

If you live in Illinois and especially Cook County, you have to read this.  Our property taxes are going to be getting much higher and much more confusing.  We have to fight back.

I don’t want to elaborate on a discussion I had at work today that led to this exclamation. However, I want you all to think about it. What do you believe? Does it stand up to scrutiny? Is it so nuanced that it cannot be considered a principle, a central personal axiom, on which you base your life?

If you find yourself advocating any positions that cannot be dissolved into a concrete unwavering principle, stop advocating them.

For the record, ‘I want everyone to be better off’ is not a principle; It is part of being the social organizm called Human. Principles are the core beliefs on how this can be achieved.

This would have to be my first principle. ‘Believe in something unwavering. Challenge it everyday. Defend it everyday.’

Because of this principle, I find I have more respect for ardent communists and theocrats than I do for modern liberals and some conservatives. I disagree with communists and theocrats, but I cannot challenge that they have principles and that they base their policies on these principles.

What are your principles?

What do you believe in?

If you live in the Second City and have not voted yet, I encourage you to do so. I also strongly encourage you to make an informed choice. In Chicago an informed choice is anything but a vote for Richard Daley or your current Alderman. If you want more than my word, read about the Mayoral election and the Aldermanic election.

Remember, Chicago is a Democracy. Stop acting like a battered wife.

If we elect a bum worse than the one we threw out, we can vote for someone else four years later. Democracy’s not that complicated. If we don’t start behaving like we live in one, we’ll have no one to blame but ourselves for the consequences.

Last week the 110th HoR passed HRes 78. HRes 78 overturns the constitution and allows non-States to have votes for all matters but final passage of bills.

George Will has a good article on this issue, but I will summarize. American Samoa, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands elect people Delegates to the House. These Delegates represent the interests of our Territories and Protectorates. However, as these areas are not States and only Representatives from States have the right to vote in the House. That was until 1993 when Democrats first notices that all the Delegates are Democrats and the House voted to give them voting rights In 1994, Republicans took the House and repealed the act. Now the Democrats have done it again.

We should be up in arms about the House trying to change the constitution via Resolution. If these territories should have a vote, and I think they should, there is a very simple solution. It has happened 37 times in the last 218 years. They should seek Statehood! Why don’t they seek statehood? The answer to most questions is always follow the money. The Right of voting used to come with the Responsibility of paying taxes.

This week on TWiT the TWiTs were talking about Virgin Airlines wanting to start American domestic service and the problems they face. There is a Federal regulation that requires domestic airlines to prove they are well funded and managed . They also must show American ownership. Both of these regulations are unnecessary and have a negative affect on the market. Virgin has this site explaining the situation and encouraging visitors to sign an online petition and send a form letter to their representatives. I have done both and encourage all of you to. I also sent a personalized letter to the President and my Congressmen.

Below is the text of that letter.

Dear [recipient name was inserted here],

I recently learned that our law requires American airlines to obtain a “Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity” to operate. To me this sounds like antiquated regulation from the era of the CAB. As I understand it, the certification process requires an airline to prove it is well funded and managed as well as owned by Americans.

Why does an airline need to prove that it is well funded and managed? The market will quickly sweep aside any airline that fails these tests and it will do it much more effectively and efficiently than the government. The government does not tell businesses in general they must have proper funding and management to operate. To do so would destroy the entrepreneurial spirit and make every industry as unstable as the airline industry.

Is the protectionist policy of American ownership of airlines best for America? I don’t think so. If a foreign company finds an innovative way to deliver us goods or services at a discount of the price offered by American companies we should not reject them. We should encourage them so they may stoke the fire in our domestic carriers and cause them to think differently and innovative.

For Liberty,

Jacob Tomaw