Stand Your Sand, Love Your Lakes, Love Your Parks!

[Porkchop]

"Customary Use" is hardly a "hippie-dippy" concept, but it may not be the most solid concept to base a claim upon. A better foundation would be the Ancient Right of man to access the coastline for navigation, commerce, and recreation. The Romans felt so strongly about this right that they codified it into law: No man may "own" the beach.

Because some were able to purchase this resource as private property (facilitated by either corrupt, incompetent, or at least shortsighted county officials) may provide them with a legal shelter, but not a moral one.

Owning human beings as private property was legal until the majority of the people came to their senses and demanded change.

 

[Porkchop]

So please answer me this: If a county backed suit is tried and lost (and no more are filed), do you think you and your friends will ever drop the Customary Use argument and respect private property rights resulting in fewer signs, chains, etc?

Doubtful. Issues such as these are rarely put to rest at the county level.

I certainly don't speak for everyone, but I don't believe in "Customary Use" because it is based upon a faulty premise. My stance is that man has an Ancient Right to the coastline. Had no man ever stepped foot upon the beaches of Walton County, Florida, society would still hold the rightful claim to these beaches.

If you are a property-owner, I empathize with you. I would not want to see the fruits of my life's work be "taken" from me. However, my opinion is that the beach was never yours to purchase, and your deed is therefore invalid. You purchased what is, in essence, stolen property.

I'm not angry with the people who want to access what is rightfully community property, and I'm not angry with the people who invested in these properties. I'm angry with the county officials, county bureaucrats, and the greedy opportunists who conspired to create this situation. We are all their victims—you the property owner, and I the citizen of Walton County.

 

[Teresa]

It's called complete and total lack of government oversight for South Walton. It's nothing new but it's becoming much more consequential than ever.

 

[Truman]

Doubtful. Issues such as these are rarely put to rest at the county level.

I certainly don't speak for everyone, but I don't believe in "Customary Use" because it is based upon a faulty premise. My stance is that man has an Ancient Right to the coastline. Had no man ever stepped foot upon the beaches of Walton County, Florida, society would still hold the rightful claim to these beaches.

If you are a property-owner, I empathize with you. I would not want to see the fruits of my life's work be "taken" from me. However, my opinion is that the beach was never yours to purchase, and your deed is therefore invalid. You purchased what is, in essence, stolen property.

I'm not angry with the people who want to access what is rightfully community property, and I'm not angry with the people who invested in these properties. I'm angry with the county officials, county bureaucrats, and the greedy opportunists who conspired to create this situation. We are all their victims—you the property owner, and I the citizen of Walton County.

Please post more often.

 

[Dave Rauschkolb]

Here's something for singin' on our beach.