Private Property is not recognized by the United States Government.

It's been a while since I've debated here, so I'll have to see if my skills haven't gone rusty on me. . . So, in this debate you contend that essentially the U.S. government does not recognize private property as sovereign because it places property taxes, it has power of eminent domain, and it can issue search warrants. However, I'm going with what I think is a more basic flaw in your position. Private- 1.belonging to some particular person: private property. 2.pertaining to or affecting a particular person or a small group of persons; individual; personal: for your private satisfaction. 3.confined to or intended only for the persons immediately concerned; confidential: a private meeting. 4.personal and not publicly expressed: one's private feelings. 5.not holding public office or employment: private citizens. 6.not of an official or public character: private life. 7.removed from or out of public view or knowledge; secret: private papers. 8.not open or accessible to the general public: a private beach. 9.undertaken individually or personally: private research. 10.without the presence of others; alone. 11.solitary; secluded. 12.preferring privacy; retiring: a very private person. 13.intimate; most personal: private behavior. 14.of, having, or receiving special hospital facilities, privileges, and services, esp. a room of one's own and liberal visiting hours: a private room; a private patient. 15.of lowest military rank. 16.of, pertaining to, or coming from nongovernmental sources: private funding. Sovereignty- supreme and independent power or authority in government as possessed or claimed by a state or community. http://dictionary.reference.com... http://dictionary.reference.com... Sovereignty =/= Private. Private property does not by definition have to be sovereign; I think the best definition would be "not open to the general public". If private property were sovereign, that would essentially give the owner the right to do whatever he/she wanted on it, which obviously cannot be permitted in the interests of the safety of the public. How would the government arrest those who break the law then flee to the safety of their private property and claim that their sovereignty cannot be violated? It would essentially be anarchy. If we try to extend your logic in defining private property as sovereign to people, it fails. Does the government of the US not recognize the right to free speech just because death threats are illegal? Does it not recognize the right to bear arms because bazookas are illegal? Of course not! There are always exceptions, because in order for a state to function, the safety and security of the many must sometimes be put before the interests of the few. My and my family's rights to life and liberty trump your right to own an M1 Abrams tank. Does this mean that you are not a private individual? In that same vein, are you not a private citizen because you pay income taxes? My argument boils down to this: There is no need for sovereignty to have privacy. The mere ability to restrict the general public from trespass upon your land constitutes its being private, and since that right is recognized by the government of the united states, the U.S. government therefore recognizes private property. But what of your 3 examples? 1. Eminent domain: once again, this boils down to the needs of the masses over the rights of the few. If 20 million people need a road built where your house stands, their needs outweigh your need, and since you are provided with monetary compensation, it cannot be said that your ownership claim upon the land was not recognized. The claim was recognized but was exchanged for equivalent value. 2. Property taxes- Property taxes are for one not levied by the federal government, so that's one strike. But in addition, property taxes are not simply charges for you to live on your land. They are essentially charging you for the services provided to you as a landowner, such as safe roads in winter, police and fire services, EMS, and property inspections to ensure that your house is not a danger to those around it. 3. Search Warrants: Once again, it all comes down to the interests of the many over your right to do whatever you want. My case in a nutshell: sovereignty=/=privacy, privacy is maintained except when your actions violate someone else's privacy, therefore the US. govt recognizes private property.