Vigil against eminent domain

[Kat Kanning]

How about we arrange a vigil for this on the 21st?  This is the case that Jason Sorens And gorup did a shadow ad about in New Haven.  It'd be great to get some news coverage on the emiment domain issue.

Also, send this lady an email if you'd like to see a webcast of the supreme court hearing on the case.
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Dear Friends,

IMPORTANT . . . PLEASE RESPOND ASAP:  Many of you have expressed disappointment over the past several months that you will not be able to attend the Kelo argument.  Many of you also stated, if the Court provided a web cast of the argument through C-Span or some other means, that you would like to listen in.  If you would like to tune into such a web cast, or perhaps a C-Span radio broadcast, would you please let us know ASAP (email: emoser@ij.org <mailto:emoser@ij.org>)?  Thank you!

A big day for property rights is approaching, and we need your help with an unprecedented national campaign to stop eminent domain abuse.  We are writing to enlist your assistance for events to be held on Presidents? Day.  As you know, on Tuesday, February 22, we will argue our case, Kelo v. City of New London, before the U.S. Supreme Court.  In order to support the plaintiffs in their fight against eminent domain abuse, we are encouraging everyone around the country to rally locally to highlight the connection between what is happening in their neighborhood and New London.  This is an extraordinary opportunity for all of us-it has been half a century since the Supreme Court has looked at this issue-so join us to make sure the entire country knows about it.

There are several ways to take part in this momentous occasion:  write op-eds and letters to the editor and call in to local radio shows in the weeks leading up to the argument.  Your members can join vigils and rallies on February 21, mere hours before the argument.  Friends of the Castle Coalition, the Institute for Justice?s grassroots property rights activism project, are currently organizing these events around the nation.  Also, for those of you with websites, you can provide a link to the Institute for Justice?s website in the days leading up to the argument so that your audience can learn more about the case and the issue, or even hold a vigil online the night before.  Finally, you can alert your members about the chance to uncover abuses in their hometowns.

The idea is to blanket the nation with coverage-to focus all attention on this historic argument, to take advantage of the national media attention surrounding this case.  Just think of the impact we will have nationally with action in dozens of cities and within those cities think of the excitement we will build by joining forces with others in our communities.  We need to seize the moment and capture the momentum of this case to show the nation the evils of eminent domain abuse.  The wave is cresting-we need to ride it in.

The support many of you provided helped get us to this point in the battle to defend property rights, and for that - we thank you!  Let?s take advantage of this chance to end eminent domain abuse, to make, once and for all, the Fifth Amendment mean what it says.  Every moment we spend, every little thing we do before the argument is an invaluable part of this campaign to protect all Americans? property rights.

We are available, as always, to talk to your organization and its members about this request-or anything else that will make this vital event a success.  Please contact IJ Castle Coalition Coordinator Steven Anderson at sanderson@ij.org <mailto:sanderson@ij.org> or 202-955-1300.  We need to act fast, since we're just a few weeks from the argument.  And, hopefully, a few months from victory.

For more information, see <http://www.ij.org/private_property/connecticut/index.html>.

Sincerely,

Steven Anderson, Castle Coalition Coordinator, sanderson@ij.org <mailto:sanderson@ij.org>

Elizabeth Moser, Outreach Coordinator, emoser@ij.org <mailto:emoser@Ij.org>

Institute for Justice
1717 Pennsylvania Ave NW
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Washington, DC 20006
202-955-1300
fax 202-955-1329
www.ij.org