Man interferes with military's efforts to put out fires

[Danny Tanner]

http://www.koco.com/r/29040350/detail.html

I'm sure anybody who has been watching the local news stations has heard of this story. Helis coming in, taking water from a private pond to extinguish the flames. This guy was obviously upset that his water was being taken without permission, and it's claimed that he was pointing a gun at the helicopter. Even if he was pointing a gun at the helicopter, does he not have the right to defend what is rightfully his, even against his own Government?

Most people seem to want lock this guy up and throw away the key. I think most of these people are voicing their opinions based from their moral convictions, rather than using their heads.

I don't fully understand water rights, so maybe I don't know what I'm talking about (wouldn't be the first time). If the pond is on his private property, does that mean the water itself is his private property, too? Does the Government have a legal right to come and take it?

I shared my thoughts on the story in saying that I don't believe the Government had the right to fly over his private property and take his water to put out fires any more than they have the right to barge into his pantry and take his food to feed the hungry. Just because it's for the greater good, does not mean the law is null and void. I by no means want to see people lose their homes, lives, property, livestock, etc by fires. In putting emotions aside and playing devil's advocate I want to know what you guys think.

Am I right? Am I wrong?

 

[grizzly97]

I'm with you on this one. It's his property and it was being stolen.

 

[KOPBET]

Citizens do not have private property, they only rent it from the government in the form of taxes.

 

[Jefpainthorse]

Well..... I wont quote chapter and verse... but the FAA frowns on groundpounders pointing firearms at aircraft (civilian or military).... that was a big mistake on his part.

Water rights aside.... If his house was on fire... he'd be bitching about the NG NOT dipping his water with OUR helio and putting out his place. I guess this guy never heard of the "Oklahoma Standard" regarding neighbors helping each other in times of crisis.

 

[VitruvianDoc]

Probably a branch of imminent domain argument. I see both sides of the argument, but if the Gov't wants it, then it will take it. Its a given. I think what he did with the gun was wrong, he could have passively protested via getting in a boat in the pond, etc.

 

[Biggsly]

I could not ever see if he had a gun or not. My inlaws pond is about dry. If they loose all of the water, they will lose there livestock. I can understand him being mad. People need to see why he was mad before they jump him. It could be with reason and he could be a loon.

 

[Danny Tanner]

Well..... I wont quote chapter and verse... but the FAA frowns on groundpounders pointing firearms at aircraft (civilian or military).... that was a big mistake on his part.

Water rights aside.... If his house was on fire... he'd be bitching about the NG NOT dipping his water with OUR helio and putting out his place. I guess this guy never heard of the "Oklahoma Standard" regarding neighbors helping each other in times of crisis.

Well at first the story was "man fires gun at helicopters", then it was "man aims pistol" and now it's "man aims rifle". So he may or may not have had a gun. I watched video of it from channel 9 and all I saw was a guy waving his arms. It didn't look like he had anything in his hands, though he could, but he definitely was not aiming at the aircraft, at least in the video I saw.

If the fire was on his property, he has every right to say "take water from my pond". But the fire wasn't on his property, nobody had permission to take the water, but they did any way. Again, if his neighbors were starving would the Government have right to steal his food to feed his neighbors just because it's "Oklahoma Standard"?

 

[SMS]

I'm betting there are provisions under state law, specifically related to a declared state of emergency, that allow the utilization of common resources like water. Doesn't make it "right"...but it makes it the law of the land.

Own land? Educate yourself on the ins/outs of the laws in the state you live in. Don't like it, work to change the law or move to another state, ahead of time. Threatening a military chopper in the process of gathering water to save lives and property, including your own, is the wrong way to make a stand in this case.

 

[Biggsly]

Well at first the story was "man fires gun at helicopters", then it was "man aims pistol" and now it's "man aims rifle". So he may or may not have had a gun.

The media is more worried about being first with the story, then getting the story right.

 

[Larry Morgan]

It probably is his technically. I could see it if they were pumping out his water just willy nilly for something other than an emergency (where they would have ample time to find water somewhere else), but there was an emergency reason for it.
But are you going to be such a huge douche that you won't let someone take some of your water (which he probably didn't need for his own well-being) so they can't stop some fires that may cause large amounts of damage?