This case is playing out in the Ohio Supreme Court, right here in Columbus, Ohio:

Joy and Carl Gamble say they just want to retire peacefully in the dream home where they’ve lived for more than 35 years. But the Cincinnati suburb of Norwood has other plans for the property.

Using its power of eminent domain, the city wants to take a neighborhood that it considers to be deteriorating and boost its fortunes by allowing a $125 million development of offices and shops.

…

Joy Gamble speaks bitterly about the couple’s ordeal and what it meant to see their home of 35 years, purchased after years of savings, in danger of demolition.

“When the municipalities and the people that have lots of money decide they want what you have, you don’t own it,” Gamble said. “You bought it, you paid for it, you kept the taxes up, you kept the appearance up, but it wasn’t yours.”

It might be hard to believe, but blogger Hetty Litjens seems to have a considerably harsher opinion of the Bush Administration than I do. I’ve often seen a headline from Hetty’s blog and thought, “Woo hoo! Tell it!” Then I read the blog entry itself and think, “Uh, I’m not really sure I want to link to that.”

This entry, too, comes on pretty strong. But I think it makes a point about the very nature of civilization. I have taken the liberty of reformatting the excerpts below:

When Christianity took over from the belligerent and greedy Roman empire, it did so on the basis of new ideals and tenets. These were essentially Pax et Justitia, Peace and Justice, as exposed by St. Augustine. Peace can only be based on justice. These ideals met with general acceptance and resulted in the success of the Christian church. When things went wrong in the Church it was because it became entangled in power and wealth.

“Remota itaque iustitia quid sunt regna nisi magna latrocinia?”

“Justice being taken away, then, what are kingdoms but great robberies?”

—De Civitate Dei (The City of God), Book IV, Chapter IV.

…

St. Augustine changed the course of history by giving a new alternative to the reign of war, his new tenets were Peace and Justice. These were the guiding principles of our Christian civilization for hundreds of years. George W. Bush is wiping out not only the American Constitution, but also the attainments of thousands of years of civilization.