by Suzanne Reisig Olden
A curious but ground shifting phenomenon is occurring in the media. Not the main stream media (MSM), but rather in the secondary and tertiary levels of alternate reporting media sources (ARMS). ARMS individuals and writing cooperatives are now breaking the news in a very specific area of investigative research; that of monitoring local, state and federal governmental overreach. And they have a lot to report; in an especially critical election year. November is a mere few months away and, given the MSM’s apparent partisan twist to “news”, more people are turning to ARMS sites from which they are reviewing unfiltered information.
We provide an example of governmental overreach below, with an end explanation of why we chose to focus on a local example (as opposed to big government’s arrogant and intentional overstepping.)
News broken by: Food Renegade blog (Reported June 21, 2012)
Until August 11, 2011, Denise Morrison of Tulsa, Oklahoma, had lush green gardens covering a vast portion of her property. Carefully designed, implemented and maintained beds of beautiful flowers, flourishing shade trees, lush full plants and bushes… Until a neighbor complained about the height of her plants. At her previous residence, Ms. Morrison had encountered similar issues with property garden codes so she carefully and fully researched her new home’s garden regulations to endure that she was not in violation of any of the applicable local ordinances.
Tulsa code states that plants may not be more than 12-inches tall unless they may be used for human consumption. All of her plants were consumable. Morrison intentionally grew such plants to holistically treat her diabetes, high blood pressure, and arthritis. Her plants included stevia, vegetable plants and trees that bore fruits and nuts, among many other flora consumables. She had photographic proof of her garden’s content and appearance. While not exactly the New York Botanical Gardens, her property’s blooms were lush, weed free and well maintained.
Nonetheless, she received a citation from the city for having overgrown (too tall) plants and trees on her property. The judge, having heard the matter, postponed (heavy court schedule or Bahamian trip?) any decision in the matter for several months. Three days after this hearing, Ms. Morrison woke to find city workers in her yard destroying her gardens and cutting down her trees, without her permission or that of the court. After they left, her yard looked like a war zone, and now, not when it was occupied by loving and curative and shady plants, was it a neighborhood eyesore. Not even the smaller plants, those well under 12 inches in height were spared the whacking. Several months later, the court ruled in her favor; that her gardens were NOT in violation of any related city code.
A few additional components to this matter: When advised of the code’s wording, the city workers destroying her gardens and plants replied, “We don’t care.” Ms. Morrison even explained that she was unemployed and uninsured and these gardens were her only source of food and medication. As opposed to requesting government assistance in the form of medical and food welfare, she had attempted to be self-reliant and grow her own food and medication. It’s almost (?) as if the government would rather people become dependent on its seemingly bottomless coffers of public assistance monies than maintain self-sustainability.
So why did we choose an example of local governmental overreach? The gradual degradation and loss of one’s basic freedoms and constitutionally enumerated rights always begins on a parochial level. The divide and conquer theory of governance has a well proven historical track record of succeeding in the oppression of a people. No Chicken Little perspective. Simply that by becoming kowtowing ninnies, we tacitly allow the all-controlling Nannies.
Our Operatives: Street smart; info savvy.
As always, stay safe.
Related articles
- Woman’s Survival Garden Seized and Destroyed by Authorities (itmakessenseblog.com)
- Woman’s Survival Garden Seized and Destroyed by Authorities (offgridsurvival.com)
- Tulsa Officials Destroy Woman’s Survival Garden (reason.com)
Filed under: In The News, information, invasion of privacy, legal, Legal Decisions, opinion, property Tagged: | Garden, Governemental Overreach, Litigation, Morrison, Personal Rights, Tulsa Oklahoma, US Constitution
As always, you have a conservative viewpoint and passion that you bring to your perspective. Its why reading what you have to say is interesting and worthy of thoughtful review.
It is not clear to me, having read this, how this is any different than other cases of government overreach that have been occuring throughout our countries history.
Was what happened absolutely wrong? Yes. Should the city be forced to restore the damage incurred? Absolutely. Does this have anything to do with MSM? No. I lived in Seattle for many years. That there was a slant to the coverage is no secret. But this is EXACTLY the type of story they would have run with. And yes, thats MSM.
KIRO News has been doing investigative journalism of this nature for decades. They have often won national awards for it. They quite clearly ask the public to bring such stories to them – government waste, overreach, and the like. (for the record, I have not lived in the Northwest for over 6 years now, so I am not trumpeting my home town station, but rather simply using it as a counterpoint).
If it fits your particular political agenda/viewpoint to believe that only ‘ARMS’ as you refer to it are reporting on this..I am certainly not going to be able to persuade you otherwise. But, in my opinion, thats as accurate as assuming MSNBC and FOX approximate anything that is ‘fair and balanced’ in reporting.
Brian, I’m not sure promoting litigation is a conservative value but I appreciate your thorough read through and will explain the writer’s perspective. (I apologize for the confusion. Suzanne Reisig Olden is a regular contributor and will soon have her own column here. I did however edit and approve the final copy and am therefore going to assume responsibility for a response to your comments.)
The overarching point being made is that, in the now well-established Information Age, average Joes and Janes are moving away from accepting the MSM as the be-all of news reporting, specifically that involving governmental overreach. Individuals are using their own research skills and discovering independent sites that have no horse in any partisan race.
These secondary and tertiary news sources, alternate reporting media sources (ARMS), cover events without an editor breathing down the writer’s neck to slant the story to reflect the network’s political leanings.
Had MSNBC or FOX covered Ms. Morrison’s story (and the thousands just like hers), surely, and especially in this critical election year, the “reporting” would have turned to commentary assigning blame to a political party, persons of influence, etc. Generally, only the big government Goliath v. David stories make the MSM news, replete with rabid fingerpointing. The MSM has become part of the problem, outwardly announcing their agendas by making leaps of judgment instead of verifying information, leaving a vacuum for validated news that is being rapidly filled by ARMS; the respected indie writers conducting exemplary investigative research. Again, my response is directed to news covering intentional or irresonsible governmental overstepping.
Thank you for your readership and for taking the time to write in. Hopefully, I’ve clarified our article.
Stay safe,
Lina
Thank you Lina. I think the main point here is that people these days are trying to find news without a political slant or agenda. We could argue continually about who slants more, but in the story above, there was no political to it, rather it was a story about local government stomping all over the property rights of a property owner trying to keep herself healthy and self-reliant.
Brian, the ARMS ran with it first and the MSM had to catch up. Either way, the important message here is that we need to safeguard our rights from the local level all the way to the White House and the halls of Congress. We the People govern, and Washington would be wise to remember that.
Both you and Suzanne have phrased this a ‘critical election year’. Care to elaborate? Aside from the consideration that ‘any’ election year could be considered critical – what makes this any more critical than others?
In a more full disclosure – I have had many debates/discussions with Suzanne in other forums (where she has been typically one of the few voices of conservatism in the discussions). While we don’t view things the same way – I have always respected her ability to refrain from much of the sensationalism that mars much of the political discourse.
The luxury of smaller sites like this, is that you can cater to a smaller segment of the populace. Mainstream ‘news’ organizations go after much larger segments, and thus engage in info-tainment and buzzword bingo, which detracts from the actual content of the story. Whatever results in larger ratings is employed.
The town paper, topical journals, other smaller periodicals – these blogs/secondary forums are the modern day equivalent.
It’s a critical election year due to the extraordinarily negative economic straits which we are attempting to successfully navigate. Therefore, our choice of leadership will determine how this ship (our economy) sails; towards the crushing rocks or clear, calmer water. (Mild aside: Fashion dictates a nautical theme this summer
I have to agree with Lina that this election cycle is critical because of the economy, both US and abroad, but also because of the unrest and forseeable unrest coming due to the Egyptian elections. In an area that is already a tinderbox, losing an ally (however dubious at times) in the area is not going to bode well for us.
I must agree with Brians assertion about ratings and whatever works. Sad but true. I think this actually supports my (and Lina’s) position that it means people are looking for the smaller outlets to get real news, not the blown up, slanted version that comes from the MSM.
And thank you, Brian, for the compliment. You know I return the respect