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Just what is it we're "Preserving" in Pewee Valley?       

By Sally Tanselle       

Have you ever noticed that those non-elected militants, who foist "Smart" Growth and Comprehensive Planning upon us, and who mandate the Historical Preservation of our neighborhoods and small towns, have a seeming hatred for the species commonly known as Mankind?  These "Do-Gooders" love Open Spaces, Green Spaces and the Environment.  They dearly love lifeless old buildings.  What they cannot tolerate is mankind. 

Oldham County, Kentucky, especially its' "Historic" town of Pewee Valley, is already overpopulated with the pesky creature known as man, according to the "Do-Gooders" and Historical Preservationists.  Any new housing plans for Pewee Valley must cease.  "New residents need not apply" is their motto!  Not only should new residents not move in, but poor people, or eccentric-types, having lived here for decades, sometimes generations, should be driven out, since they don't conform to the cookie-cutter, gentrified "vision" that we now have for Pewee Valley.  An effective way to rid ourselves of these "undesirables" is through the enforcement of Master Plan-inspired punitive Ordinances.  Of course, the Intellectual Elitists (for the most part, newer residents) are welcome to stay.  They are exempt from the rules the "ordinary" man must follow.  They consider themselves assets to the planet, not mere consumers of precious rain forest oxygen -- superior to the common man, for whom they have only contempt.

But it is the "common" man, along with the innately brilliant eccentric, who founded and developed Pewee Valley.  The freedoms and liberties, granted to us by our creator, and protected by the United States Constitution, provided the fertile soil with which we grew and thrived.  Somehow, we managed without endless Ordinances and Regulations "protecting us from ourselves."  That was an age when Private Property Rights were held sacred, and the marvelous ingenuity of man was revered.

The Intellectual Elitists in Pewee Valley today actually seem to believe we wouldn't have trees lining our streets if not for the Tree Ordinance; never mind the fact that our stately trees are well over 100 years old and our Tree Ordinance didn't come into existence until the 1980s!  What would have happened if this town had enacted a Historical Ordinance 100 years ago?  Would we have simply frozen in time?  For one thing, our quaint cottages and bungalows from the 1920s and 1930s wouldn't exist today.  Their design and construction would not have been allowed.  In all probability, we would have become a ghost town.  To quote a "common man" neighbor of mine, "Without progress, there is no history."   

What is truly worth preserving?  Ultimately, we must ask ourselves that question.  The answer will determine whether we continue to pursue the ideals of freedom and liberty, as set forth by our founding fathers, or whether we instead pursue a course dictated by the United Nations (the father of "Smart" Growth and Comprehensive Planning). 

What is the point of mandating the preservation of buildings, when the very type of people that built and occupied them were the same type of people who today are viewed with disdain and contempt?  How can one detest mankind, yet make shrines of man's creations?  It is a warped view of reality that only sees value in places and things.  It is our people who have made this country what it is, a beacon of freedom and innovation for the entire world.  It is the American dream and the United States Constitution that we must preserve.   

It is time for us all to act.  Our rights are eroding beneath our noses.  Private property rights, the foundation of all other rights in a free society, are particularly at risk.  Most don't realize this is happening, to the delight of the "Do-Gooders" and Intellectual Elitists, who revel in the fact that few people bother getting involved in the proceedings of their local government.  The handful of citizens who actually do show up at city council meetings are often ridiculed and called "ignorant and misinformed" if they dare voice their objections.  "Leave things up to those who know what is best for you” and “do not questions us" seem to be the mottos.  This is an affront to every American soldier who ever fought in battle for this country. 

What can you do?  For starters, find out exactly what is going on in your community.  Look far beneath the surface of things, which at first glance can appear quite harmless, but in reality may be lethal.  Attend meetings.  Stand up and voice your concerns.  Organize opposition groups with your friends and neighbors.  Start petitions.  Distribute flyers.  Get press coverage.  If you have the time and intestinal fortitude for it, run for public office yourself, to assure that your voice will be heard.  It is time for us to take this country back...and take it back, we will!

SPECIAL NOTICE:  Sept 28 - Oct 3, 2004, are the dates for the National Trust for Historic Preservation's annual conference.  It is to be held in Louisville, Kentucky.  Preservation activists from all over the country will be descending upon us.  It is a shame that Kentucky has become so friendly to their cause!  Their objective is to control the use of private property.  (Of course, how could it any longer be considered "private" if the owner no longer controls the use of it?)  For more information on the conference, visit https://www.nthpconference.org/

See also Green Versus Black http://www.townhall.com/columnists/thomassowell/ts20040924.shtml

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