Imagine sitting down after a hard day’s work with your family and enjoying a wonderful meal. As your stomach rumbles in hunger and the aroma of delicious home cooking permeates your nostrils, suddenly a stranger knocks on your door and demands a slice of your land—a piece of your heritage, passed down from your grandparents. They tell you it’s for “public benefit”, “the greater good”, “to help farmers” and for a “good cause.”
But when you dig deeper, you find that the reason the stranger wants your land is simply for the profit of a few private companies – not the public, not the government, and certainly not for you or me. Naturally, you say no, like dozens of other farmers already told them earlier that day. But now the corporate goons push back, waving around a law that lets them take what’s yours, regardless of how you feel about it. The worst part is that the people you elected to protect you from this sort of corporate greed are the very people selling votes and trampling on our fundamental property rights for campaign donations.
This isn’t some bad dream, nor a hypothetical meant to scare you. It’s the dark reality facing many Iowa landowners today due to the Summit CO2 pipeline, and it’s a blatant abuse of eminent domain that threatens not just our land, but our very rights as property owners. This issue is bigger than a pipeline and bigger than just Iowa. I fear that the bullying and bribing Summitt has done in Iowa might be the first splash in a tidal wave of eminent domain abuse across our great country.
Eminent domain was created to allow the government to take private property for projects that serve the public good—roads, schools, and hospitals. But now, it’s being twisted into a tool for private corporations to seize our land for their gain, under the guise of reducing carbon emissions. This pipeline isn’t about saving the environment; it’s about lining the pockets of a few, while the rest of us pay the price.
And let me be clear: this isn’t just a farmer’s issue. If we allow the government to violate the property rights of rural landowners today, what’s to stop them from doing the same to homeowners in our towns and cities tomorrow? If you think your neighborhood is safe, think again. Hear me that if we give them an inch, then they will surely take a mile.
Imagine a private company decides they want to build sprawling apartments to house illegal immigrants in the middle of your town. They claim it’s for the greater good, but the reality is, they’re doing it for profit. They use eminent domain to seize the house your grandfather built, the house where your children grew up, and the house you planned to retire in. They offer you a pittance, and when you refuse, they take it anyway. You’re left with nothing but memories and a feeling of utter helplessness, while these companies reap the benefits.
Or what if a large corporation decides they need more space for a new factory? They identify your neighborhood as the perfect location, citing “economic development” as the reason. Suddenly, your peaceful community is at risk of being bulldozed to make way for industrial sprawl. Your home, your sanctuary, is no longer yours—it belongs to whoever has the power to take it.
These scenarios might sound extreme, but they’re not far-fetched. If we allow this pipeline to proceed, we set a dangerous precedent that puts all property owners at risk, whether they live on a farm or in the heart of a city. Our property rights, the very foundation of our freedom and security, are at stake. Once they’re eroded, they’re almost impossible to regain.
We Iowans are known for our strong work ethic, our close-knit communities, and our deep respect for the land. We understand that our land is more than just fertile soil and crops—it’s our legacy. Our land represents the hard work and agricultural innovation of generations of Iowans who came before us. Our land represents the respect, love, and compassion we have for our neighbors and fellow Iowans. We cannot allow anyone, no matter how powerful, to take our land from us without a fight.
I urge my fellow Iowans, whether you’re a farmer or a city dweller, to stand up against this pipeline. Join the opposition, attend public meetings, and make your voices heard. Let’s send a clear message that our land is not for sale, and we will NOT be bullied. We must defend our property rights today or we risk losing them forever!
In the words of Thomas Jefferson, “The price of freedom is eternal vigilance.” Now is the time to be vigilant, to protect what’s ours, and to ensure that our children and grandchildren inherit the same freedoms and rights that we hold dear.
Sincerely,
- Brian Frye
