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Ken Ilgunas - This Land is Our Land How We Lost the Right to Roam and How to Take it Back







"Progress comes from uncomfortable truths."


Recently, I attended a speaker event from Ken Ilgunas and his book, "This Land is Our Land" and he opened it with a quote from Jeanne d'Arc that I can not seem to find anywhere. But summed up . by Ilgunas was that "progress comes from uncomfortable truths".

His book is about his hike through the Keystone XL (I hope I got that right) to follow the pipelines. Constantly throughout his trip, he ran into no "trespassing signs" and "private property" everywhere. In one instance, a police officer told Ken. "He would have shot you for being on his land."

75% of America is privately owned.  The author mentioned some private property signs he saw, like a waterhole that was super nice and popular and then became private property. People would be arrested for trespassing. Mark Zuckerberg built a wall for property and people complained about it. In Martha's Vineyard there is a no trespassing sign unless it for fishing, foul, or navigation purposes. There are security personell that go around and check for fishing licenses. In a cemetery, it is now private property and can not be visited, unless to move the body. In TX, an aggressive no trespassing sign that read something like "Trespassers will be shot, survivors will be shot again." A seven-year-old boy was shot and killed.


So what is up with this? Why are American's obsessed with keeping property to themselves? 

Scottland has a "Right to Roam Act", where as I understand that as a citizen or as a tourist can camp, swim in ponds etc as long as it is done responsibility. Sweden has something like that as well, and England has something like that partially. 

It is ironic that as Americans we idolized people like Johnny Appleseed and Lewis and Clark and their expeditions and wandering into the vast unknown of our country, but now we do not allow such roaming and wandering. The spirit of traveling and being one with nature is simply not allowed. We idolize shows like "The Walking Dead" and "Game of Thrones" and the ability the characters have to just roam around their worlds and explore. Shows like "Naked and Afraid" also show humans using the resources of the Earth and discovering the world around them. Humans are naturally curious, but because of these privacy and no trespassing signs do not let you do any of this. 

So now what? Mr. Illgunas mentioned how not much is really being done about this privacy of land and trespassing situation; many believe that there are other issues in the States that need to be dealt with first. All that can be done for now is plant the seed of "why is our country like this?" and maybe done the road, something will be done about it.

I remember being a child and roaming around our neighborhood with friends, going into each other;s backyards and back. No one really told me not to go into our neighbor's yards, it was just understood to not cross the lawnmower line that meets the other person's yard. If my ball went over the line, it was an awkward and hurried hustle to get in and out, hoping to not get caught being in the neighbor's yard. This is my yard and that is your yard. Do not walk on it, play on it, or let your sprinkler water it. Maybe one day my kids, ( or my great great great .... great grand kids) can roam wherever and not worry about if their ball went to their neighbors yard and not get shot. 

The Hopeless Wanderer,
Maddy McCracken



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