To the Editor:
Downtown Leesburg found its Sept. 7 morning rush hour augmented by a well organized "tractor parade" welcoming the Loudoun Board of Supervisors back from their month long vacation.
It was a "property rights crusade" peacefully conducted by members of Citizens for Property Rights as their way of telling the Board, "we support you," and "we are proud to have voted for a majority of new members," and "we will not be going away anytime soon."
Most of the signs read "No to snob zoning," reminding viewers of the court's decree in the 1959 Fairfax Board of Supervisors vs Carper down zoning case rendered in favor of the landowners, that "city hall" doesn't always win.
The emphasis upon "snob zoning" at a time when the Virginia Supreme Court was considering whether or not to take up numerous land use lawsuits against the county reemphasized their contention that "A-3 was not dead" and down zoning land in Loudoun to A-20 and A-50 was "arbitrary, capricious and exclusionary."
Many onlookers were surprised by the rally due, largely, to a lack of public notice beforehand, and also by the massive turnout that included an assortment of farm vehicles ranging in size from large tractors to small lawn mowers, making the point that "even the little guy counts."
This fact reminded the Board that although it had 21 new land use proposals on its agenda, designed to change present county building plans, these were the result of "scared to hell" farmers and landowners who saw no alternative to losing their hard earned equity, but to sell out to developers before the Board down zoned their land to A-20 and A-50, action not without merit, as it turned out, leaving many small landowners presently being discriminated against and desperately needing their help.
As they "circled their wagons" around the seat of government at 1 Harrison Street, the cry went out, "It's the land, stupid," owned and cared for by individuals like themselves, that made Loudoun the desirable place in which to live, yet the government, whom they were addressing, that made this prospect the least likely to occur for the most needy.
Their action dramatically demonstrated, in their own effective but unique way, why the United States became and remains the richest nation in the world, because of "freedom," based, first and foremost, upon the protection of "property rights," and the first Amendment to the Constitution reminding all that:
"Congress shall make no law .... abridging the freedom of speech, ... or the right of the people peaceably to assemble ...."
They gave notice to those who would remove, for whatever reason, "by consent of the governed" from the Comprehensive Plan, specifically the "headless horsemen of the hunt," they best pick their filthy political hooves and trod lightly, preferably, elsewhere.
Their action begged the question as to what there was about "No" that the "No-growthers" along with the coerced "frog kissers" and misinformed "tree huggers" didn't understand.
Lawrence V. Phillips
Round Hill