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Grandpa's Mountain by Carolyn Reeder6/4/2023 It is worth noting that this book is recommended by Stephen J. It is important for Americans to remember how this park came into existence, and to reflect upon the methods used to create it the Supreme Court greatly expanded the power of eminent domain in the late 1990's when it ruled that eminent domain can be used to seize land for private ventures (like the Brooklyn sports arena and the Cowboys' stadium here in Arlington, TX) and as adults our children will undoubtedly be called upon to understand, and vote upon, eminent domain issues. It is a subject many more of us should study and understand if we desire our nation to be a just nation, and this novel introduces young people to the conflicts inherent in the use of eminent domain. "Those who forget history are doomed to repeat it." The excellent documentary 'Battle for Brooklyn' (about a corrupt developer mis-using eminent domain to seize land for a private sports arena complex in the heart of Brooklyn, New York) illustrates that eminent domain is being mis-used in America. but largely because I was unaware at the time that it had something of an ugly backstory. My first husband proposed to me in that park (in the northern part, which is in Virginia) it is gorgeous, and I never questioned the appropriateness of the land being National Park land. This historical fiction novel is based on the true story of a man who fought unsuccessfully against the government seizure of his land (and the land of neighbors) via eminent domain to create Shenandoah National Park and the Blue Ridge Parkway.
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