The Threat Within Our Shores

April 21, 2002

by Christopher G. Adamo

When weighed against the tumultuous backdrop of post World War One Europe, the momentary disturbance of the midnight quiet by a single rock breaking a pane of glass might have seemed inconsequential. However, whenever that event first occurred at a Jewish owned business, and accompanied by an official nod of approval from the fledgling government of the Nationalist Socialists (better known as the Nazis), it signaled the onslaught of horrors too unimaginable to be fully comprehended then, or ever since. Ultimately, the local citizens chose, either by their active participation or their silence and indifference, to endorse the abuse of individuals’ rights. In so doing, they not only sealed the fate of the intended victims - the Jews - they also doomed anything worthy or honorable in their own midst and insured the eventual violation of their own rights.

Perhaps it seems somewhat excessive to draw comparisons between the Holocaust and a mere private property squabble in the very typical Orange County community of Cypress - typical at least by California standards. But upon considering the ramifications of a recent decision made by the Cypress City Council, it is difficult to overstate the seriousness of this case.

Here are the facts: Starting in 1998, the Cottonwood Christian Center, a non-denominational Church in Los Alamitos, California, began purchasing tracts of land, eventually totaling eighteen acres, for the purpose of building a Church sanctuary. Since that time, the city of Cypress has contrived its own plans to develop the land, already purchased by Cottonwood Christian Center at a total cost of $13 million. However, the Cypress City Council had a much less lofty endeavor in mind, intending instead to put a shopping center there. Being that Cottonwood Christian has no desire to forfeit ownership of the land at a fraction of its value, the Cypress City Council is proceeding with an aggressive effort to "condemn" the land, and subsequently seize it under a declaration of "eminent domain." Such a step could well be in violation of a federal law, enacted in 2000 for the specific purpose of protecting Churches from this manner of land-use discrimination.

It is worthwhile to consider the original intent of "eminent domain," as well as the extent to which it has been distorted and abused in recent years, eventually necessitating the passage of the 2000 federal statute. Initially, eminent domain was conceived as a means to prevent the blackmail of communities by opportunistic individuals who might happen to own a piece of property in the path of a necessary public works project, such as a highway, railroad, or power line. As is invariably the case with governmental power, this concept has mutated over time to the point where many state and local governments have presumed an almost tyrannical authority to direct every aspect of land ownership and usage, based solely on their whims. Worse yet, such actions are all to frequently motivated entirely by money.

It is not surprising that the Cypress City Council would, in consideration of tax revenues, prefer a shopping center over a non-profit organization of any type. What is surprising is that the Council would, as a result of those preferences, respond in such an iron-fisted manner. Something other than merely financial concerns appears to be at work here, and a very telling comment by City Attorney Bill Wynder may shed light on the sinister undercurrent behind the City Council’s outrageous conduct. According to Wynder, the people of Cypress “already have one of the highest ratios of church to residents in the county.”

Vile as may be the disregard for private property rights exhibited by the Cypress City Council, it is this blatant bigotry against the Christian faith which should give the greatest cause for concern. This is California, where children can face punitive action for the mere utterance of “Merry Christmas” within the halls of the state schools, while in those same schools, Islamic indoctrination courses are being taught under the auspices of “multiculturalism.” And though “God Bless America” has encountered a gauntlet of legal challenges, every conceivable social aberration bears acceptance under the blessings of “tolerance.” Does anybody doubt that, had this same land been purchased with the intention of building a halfway-house, a “gay and lesbian” social center, or even a Mosque, the City Council would have responded in a wholly different manner?

It is quite contemptible for City Councils to exploit “eminent domain” as a means of ensuring that land sales always go to the highest bidder (with the “bids” being laid at the feet of the City Council). It is the epitome of arrogance for a lawyer, whose profession is not universally known as a bastion of spirituality, to claim knowledge of the appropriate number of Churches in a community. The long-term consequences of this sort of thinking should not be underestimated. Authorities might be wise to look around them at the behavior of the community’s young people and re-evaluate the true importance of such things as home, family, and Church.

In the wake of the next drug bust or school shooting, they may instead want to ask themselves if perhaps there aren’t already enough strip malls.

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Christopher G. Adamo is a freelance writer who lives in southeastern Wyoming with his wife and sons. He has been involved in grassroots political activity for many years. Chris was the editor of the Wyoming Christian from 1994 to 1996, and his columns can also been seen at CheyenneNetwork.com.

Send the author an E mail at Adamo@ConservativeTruth.org.

For more of Christopher's articles, visit his archives.