"Janet Baraclough" wrote in message
...
The message
from Ann contains these words:

I can cut down any tree I want on my property. As I should be able
to. You go ahead and live in your controlling environment, I promise
I won't move next door to you. And thankfully most of New England
feels as I do.

I suppose that depends whether you view yourself as the sole owner
the land you bought, or just the latest in a long line, the current
custodian who will one day hand it on to another by death or sale or
inheritance.

What if the tree is many hundreds of years old, or a "champion" of its
species, or an extreme rarity, or a special landmark of the
neighbourhood? Does someone who pays a mortgage on the tree's patch of
soil for a few years, acquire an inalienable right to remove something
very rare or special?

Janet.

Remember, Janet, that this is a country where some people interpret our
constitution to mean that you can do anything you damned well please, as
long as it's within the law. So, try telling someone with a fat SUV that
it's silly to own one if they don't actually need a truck-type vehicle for
towing or other similar purpose that's appropriate to such a vehicle.
Probably half the time, the response will be "Oh....it's OK...I can afford
the gasoline". They'll completely miss the point that it's obscene to waste
resources. The other typical response, if you mention air quality, is that
"those environmentalists have yet to prove blah blah blah....".

The trees have an uphill battle on their hands.